I LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. I 

L mm — — t 

tfaf. fas" I 8 * 



| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. | 



Family Prayers 

for 

Morning and Evening Service, 

AND FOR 

SPECIAL OCCASIONS. 



VARIOUS AUTHORS, AND MOSTLY ORIGINAL. 



PREPARED AND ARRANGED BY 

REV. J. W. WELLONS, 

Franklinton, N. C. 



BALTIMORE: 
Printing House of Sherwood & Co. 

N. W. CORNER BALTIMORE AND GAY STREETS. 

1874. 




Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, 
BY REV. J. W. WELLONS, 
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 




3SLBCTKOTTP3JD BT 
P. S. COWMAN, BAXTIJIOES 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Sacramental Sunday Morning 
Sacramental Sunday Evening 



First Week . 
Second Week 
Third Week 
Fourth Week 
Fifth Week 



11 
41 

72 
99 
128 
154 
158 



No. 1 — For Opening Divine Services . ; . . . .160 
No. 1 — For Closing Divine Services . . . . r . ,163 
No. 2 — For Opening Divine Services . . . „ . .164 

No. 2 — For Closing Divine Services 166 

For a Perfect Union of all Christians 168 

For a Person Laboring Under Conviction of Sin . . . .170 

In Trouble of Soul 172 

In View of Death .,...«.... 174 
A Person Unprepared to Die . . . , . . .177 

For One in Dangerous Illness 178 

For a Christian Wife and Mother in Time of Affliction . . 179 

Dying Bed of a Believer 181 

A Sick Family 182 

Domestic Sorrows — In Case of Extreme Illness or Bereavement . . 184 
The Evening After the Burial of a Member of the Family . . 187 

A Prayer for a Woman in Travail 189 

After the Birth of a Child .190 

Pecuniary Difficulties . 192 

Fast Day 193 

Thanksgiving . . . • . . . . . . . . 196 

Humiliation . . . . 198 

Christmas Morning . . . . 200 

The Last Day of the Year 202 

New Year's Day 204 

Easter Sunday , 206 

Whitsunday . . . • . . 208 

Opening Sabbath School ; . . .210 

Closing Sabbath School : 211 

Monday Morning Prayer for Opening School 212 

Friday Evening Prayer for Closing School 213 

On the Morning of a Marriage of a Female Member of the Family . 215 
Before Going on a Journey . . . . • , . .217 

After Returning from a Journey . . . . . . . 219 

For Rain 220 

Thanksgiving for Rain . -220 

Prayers for Children . . . , . . . . . .220 

Grace Before Meals 222 

Grace After Meals * . .223 

Benedictions . . . .224 

For the Success of the Temperance Cause . . . . , ,225 



CONTRIBUTORS. 



The following are the names of Special Contributors of Prayers used 
in this publication : 

First Sunday Evening — Rev. Josephus Anderson, D. D., of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church South, Tallahassee, Fla. 

First Monday Morning, and for the Success of the Temperance 
Cause — Rev. W. B.. Wellons, of the Christian Church and Editor of 
the Christian Sun, Suffolk, Va. 

First Monday Evening — Rev. John E. Edwards, D. D., of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church South, Richmond, Va. 

First Saturday Morning — Rev. J. B. Walker, D. D., Methodist Epis- 
copal Church South, Galveston, Texas. 

Second and Fourth Sunday Evenings — Rev. J. L. Michaux, of the 
Methodist Protestant Church and Editor of the Central Protestant, 
Greensborough, N. C. 

Second Tuesday Morning — Rev. A. W. Mangum, of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church South, Raleigh, N. 0. 

Second Thursday Evening — -Rev. T. W. Hooper, of the Presbyterian 
Church, Lynchburg, Va. 

Third Sunday Morning and Third Saturday Morning — Rev. C. F. 
Deems, D. DV, Pastor of the' Church of the Strangers, New York 
(Home Altar). 

Third Tuesday Evening — Rev. C. J. Gibson, of the Protestant Epis- 
copal Church, Petersburg, Va. " 

Third Friday Morning — Rev. J. A. Proctor, of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church South, Charlottesville, Va. 

Fourth Tuesday Morning — Rev. Joshua Peterkin, D. D., of the Pro- 
testant Episcopal Church, Richmond; Va. 

Fifth Sunday Morning — Rev. Wm. H. Bobbitt, A. M., of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church South, Carey, N. C. 

Fifth Tuesday Morning — Rev. J. T. Whitley, of the Christian Church, 
Windsor, Va. 



6 



Contributors. 



Saceamental Sunday Morning — Rev. D. Lacy, D. D., LL.D., of the 
Presbyterian Church, Raleigh, N. C. 

Ho. 1 Opening Divine Service — Rev. A. A. Lipscomb, D. D., LL.D., 
of the Methodist Protestant Church and Chancellor of the University 
of Georgia, Athens, Ga. 

No. 1 Closing Divine Seevice — Rev. W. M. Wingate, D. D., of the 
Baptist Church and President of Wake Forest College, Wake 
Forest, N. C. 

No. 2. Opening and Closing Divine Seevice — Rev. Wm. Royall, 
D. D., of the Baptist Church and President of the Louisburg Female 
College, Louisburg, N. C. 

A Peefect Union of All Christians and Foe a Woman in Tea vail — 
Thomas C. Hines, M. D., Kittrell, N. C. 

In View of Death — Rev. Wm. S. Long, A.M., of the Christian Church 
and Joint Principal of Graham High School, Graham, N. C. 

A Person Unpeepaeed to Die— Rev. D. A. Long, A. M., of the Chris- 
tian Church, Joint Principal of Graham High School, Graham, N. C. 

Domestic Soeeow — In Case of Exteeme Illness oe Beeeavement — 
Rev. C. H. Read, D. D., of the Presbyterian Church, Richmond. Va. 

Cheistian Wife and Mothee in Time of Affliction— Rev. L. W. 
Bates, D. D., of the Methodist Protestant Church and Editor of the 
Methodist Protestant, Baltimore, Md. 

Evening Aftee the Bueial of a Membee of the Family — Rev. L. 
F. Cosby, D. D., of the Methodist Protestant Church, Abingdon, Va. 

Aftee the Bieth of a Child — 0. J. H. W. Hester, M. D., Hender- 
son, N. C. 

Pecuniary Difficulties — Rev. R. S. Mason, D. D., of the Protestant 
Episcopal Church, Raleigh, N. C. 

Fast Day — Mornings — Rev. John N. Manning, of the Christian Church, 
Norfolk, Va. 

Cheistmas Mobning— Rev. N. W. Wilson, D. D., of the Baptist Church, 
Richmond, Va. 

New Yeae's Day and Opening and Closing of the Sabbath School — 
Rev. C. A. Apple, of the Christian Church and Principal of Holy 
Neck Seminary, Holy Neck, Va. 



PEEF ACE 



The Author and Compiler of this volume is not 
insensible to the opposition existing in the minds 
of many good persons to printed forms of prayer, 
notwithstanding the Saviour has given us an exam- 
ple ; and he would state that it is not his desire to 
have these forms take the place, entire, of extem- 
poraneous prayers. He would rather give the 
preference to extemporaneous supplications on the 
part of the gifted and all who have cultivated the 
talent. These forms are for the aid of the timid, 
and all who feel incompetent, from any cause, to 
lead in family devotions. Seeing in his own charge, 
and the charges of others, the great neglect of family 
worship, the excuse in most cases being the incom- 
petency of the heads of families to lead in the 
exercise, either from timidity or an imagined lack 
of gift in prayer, he has felt moved, for several years, 
to prepare a volume of printed forms for the use of 
all this class of religious persons. These forms will 
aid the young and inexperienced in the establish- 
ment of a family altar, and may be used, when the 
head of the family is absent, by the wife or any 



8 



Preface. 



other member of the family. They will aid in 
keeping the thoughts from wandering and suggest 
words expressive of the desires of the heart. 

The Compiler has solicited forms of prayer from 
distinguished clergymen of various evangelical de- 
nominations, whose names appear in the list of 
contributors, yet not a word in any prayer peculiar 
to any sect, denomination or creed has been fur- 
nished or admitted. ) 

Many of the forms are of the Author's own 
composition, and others have been taken from similar 
w r orks and reduced and altered to suit the taste of 
the Compiler, while a few have been admitted with 
but very slight alterations. All those used have 
been shortened, so as to prevent the worship of the 
family from being irksome to the younger members. 

The prayers for Special Occasions will be found 
very applicable and useful. 

A passage of Scripture has been selected and put: 
at the head of each prayer to be read, and at the 
close of each morning prayer, and some of those to 
be used on special occasions, the Lord's Prayer hag 
been annexed, which should be repeated together^ 
by the whole family. 

A few r short Forms for Children of different ages 
have been given. Children should be learned to 
pray as soon as they can lisp the name of Jesus 
and understand the meaning of the simplest words. 



Preface. 



9 



Forms of Grace before and after meals are given, 
together with different forms of the Benediction 
after worship. 

This volume is given to the great Christian public, 
regardless of denomination or creed, after much 
thought and days and weeks of earnest mental labor, 
sanctified by fervent prayer, in secret, to the com- 
mon Father of all, that His blessing may be upon 
the effort, and thus it may be the means of leading 
to the establishment of an altar of prayer in many 
Christian families, and exercise an influence for 
good upon the hearts of many when the work of 
the Author and Compiler on earth shall be over. 

J. W. Wellons. 

Feanklinton, K 0., Februaey 20, 1874. 



FAMILY PRAYERS 



FIRST WEEK. 



Sunday Morning. 

Psalm XC. 

0 Almighty God, Creator, Governor and Up- 
holder of all things, who, after making the heavens 
and the earth, didst rest the seventh day and bless 
and sanctify it, teach us, now resting from our 
worldly labors, to devote the day to Thy service. 
0 Thou, whose Son did, as on this day, rise again 
from the dead, grant us grace to rise from the death 
of sin to the life of righteousness. Help us now, in 
His name, to seek Thy blessing on those holy duties 
to which the Sabbath is set apart. 

We bless and praise Thee for the appointment of 
this day, and for all the means of grace which we 
enjoy in this highly favored land. We bless Thee 
that Thy house is open, that Thy ministers have 
liberty to preach, and we have opportunity and 
inclination to assemble with Thy people and hear 
Thy holy word. 



12 First Week. 

Great have been Thy mercies to us; but with 
shame we confess that we have slighted Thy good- 
ness, and carelessly regarded Thy great salvation. 
How many Sabbaths have we broken ! how many 
invitations of mercy have we neglected! how many 
warnings and threatenings have we trifled with ! 

0 forgive us all our negligences, infirmities and 
iniquities. Graciously be present with us through 
all the solemn services of this day. Pour out upon 
us, and all that shall meet in thy name, the spirit of 
grace and supplication. Let none of us draw near 
to Thee with our lips only, while our hearts are far 
from Thee ; but enable us to worship Thee in spirit 
and in truth. Grant that we may find that the Lord 
is in His holy temple, and be able to say, it was 
good for us to have been there! Prepare our 
hearts to receive Thy holy word, that it may be 
sown in good ground, and bring much fruit to 
perfection. 

Help all of us, not only to abstain from engaging 
in our usual business and occupation, but also keep 
us from worldly conversation and from vain thoughts. 
Raise our affections to things above, and let our 
conversation be in heaven. Enable us to give this 
day to reading and hearing Thy word, to meditation, 
self-examination and prayer ; and be Thou with us, 
to bless us in our retired devotions. 

And Father of mercies, we beseech Thee to bless 
all that minister in holy things. Multiply unto them 
Thy grace, that they may be faithful and diligent; 
grant them humility, watchfulness and zeal; may all 



Sunday Evening. 13 

have grace to take heed to themselves and to the 
flock over which Thou hast made them overseers, 
feeding the church of God which He has purchased 
with His own blood. Stand by and strengthen 
them this day ; open Thou their mouths and enable 
them to testify boldly the gospel of the grace of 
God. We especially pray for them who minister 
among us; may they this day be enabled to speak 
a word in season to us and to all that hear them. 
By the ministry of Thy word this day convert many 
sinners ; heal those that have backslidden ; strengthen 
those that are weak, and confirm those that are 
strong. Give Thy holy word free course, and let it 
be glorified in every land and among every people. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name ; Thy kingdom come ; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory 7 
forever, Amen. 

Sunday Evening. 

Psalm CXLV. 

Our Father, who art in heaven, we praise Thee 
for the adorable perfections of Thy nature, the 
wisdom and strength and righteousness of Thy gov- 
ernment, the abundant supplies of Thy gracious 
providence and the rich provisions of Thy grace; 



14 



First Week. 



we render thanks to Thee for this holy Sabbath, its 
calm and quiet, its sacred privileges and enjoyments, 
and its golden opportunities. We bless Thy holy 
name that once more before the close of this day 
we are permitted to meet and to join in Thy wor- 
ship. Glory be to God most high, and to Thy name 
be everlasting praises! 

Thy goodness and loving kindness demand our 
grateful returns, but 0 how unworthily we have 
lived before Thee ! How great has been our wick- 
edness in Thy sight ! How numerous our offenses 
against Thee! Have mercy, 0 God! have mercy 
upon us! Be pleased to forgive our sins and to 
cleanse us from all unrighteousness, for the sake of 
Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. We accept His 
atonement as our only ground of hope ; we receive 
and confide in Him as our only and sufficient 
Saviour, and we look to Thee through Him for all 
that we need, both now and hereafter. We are 
ignorant; grant us wisdom from above, and be 
Thou our Guide even unto death. We are weak; 
strengthen Thou us with might in the inner man, 
and make us strong in the Lord and in the power 
of His might. We are subject to temptations; 
help Thou us and vouchsafe deliverance, that we 
may be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in 
the work of the Lord. We often pass through 
trouble and experience suffering; let Thy gracious 
presence go with us, and Thy right hand uphold us, 
and make our faith strong and victorious, that we 
may be patient and hopeful, and ever rejoice in 



Sunday Evening. 



15 



Thee. Live Thou in our hearts, that we may live 
for Thee, Reign Thou in our affections, that we 
may show forth the beauty of holiness. Manifest 
Thyself to us more and more, 'that we may enjoy 
Thy fullness and speak to others of Thy glory. 

0 God, teach us to be merciful and gracious, to 
be like Thee in goodness, and to love as Thou dost 
love. Cause us to be wise and active in good 
works, that our light may shine, and that our lives 
may be like streams of blessing which bring glory 
to Thy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Let it please Thee to bestow Thy choicest bless- 
ings upon Thy people, the blessings of Thy provi- 
dence and of Thy grace. Make their hearts glad 
continually with Thy favor, and grant them Thy 
salvation. Establish their purposes, increase their 
faith, multiply their joys, and extend their useful- 
ness. May they never lack for any good thing. 
And may it please Thee to give unto Thy servants 
in the holy office of the ministry great grace and 
peace, the power of the Holy Ghost, and abundant 
success in their labors. Send forth more laborers 
into the harvest. We beseech Thee to pour out 
Thy Spirit upon all flesh, to revive true religion in 
every place, and to cause Thy gospel to triumph 
over all opposition, so that earth's remotest nation 
may learn Messiah's name. 

Our Father in heaven, remember the sick and the 
poor, the young and the old, the widow and the 
orphan, and the suffering of every class, and send 
such speedy succors, spiritual and temporal, that 



16 



First Week. 



they may greatly rejoice in Thy help. And lead 
Thou the erring, the wanderers from Thy way, back 
to Thee, and may sinners be converted to Thee 
through Thy Son, Jesus Christ. 

0 God, we fear we are not worthy to present 
ourselves before Thee, nor to ask any favor at Thy 
hands, but we plead for grace through Thy Son, 
and humbly crave an answer to our petitions for 
His sake, to whom with Thee, and the Holy Ghost, 
be all honor and glory, now and forever. Amen. 



Monday Morning. 

Psalm XXXIV. 

0 Thou, who rulest in heaven and on earth,* the 
Giver of all our mercies, and the Author of all our 
blessings; Thou, in whom we live and move and 
have our continual being, and without whose divine 
assistance we can do nothing that is good, we come 
to Thee ; we come in our helplessness and in our 
dependence, and lay ourselves down at Thy feet to 
implore Thy blessing; 

Lord, we thank Thee for the privileges and favors 
of the past Sabbath, and may every good impression 
made upon our minds by its services be permanent 
and abiding. Help us to become more and more 
grateful for Thy goodness. 

And now, as we are about to enter upon the 
business duties of another day and another week, 



Monday Morning. 



17 



we come to Thee and beseech Thee to take the lead 
of our minds, the direction of our thoughts, and 
prepare us for the works, the cares and the anxieties 
of this day. In our intercourse with others, may 
Ave be careful to do unto them as we would have 
them do unto us. May we be fruitful in good 
works, as opportunity shall offer, faithfully improv- 
ing* the talent which Thou hast committed to our 
keeping, and letting our lights shine before the 
world. 

0 Lord, keep us from murmuring or complaining 
at the ways of Providence. Enable us to endure 
hardness as good soldiers of Jesus ; and in whatever 
situation we are, therewith to be content. 

Favorably, we entreat Thee, incline our hearts at 
all times to do good to those around us, and may 
we always remember that we live not for ourselves 
alone, but also for others. Divest our hearts and 
minds of selfish feelings and propensities, and may 
we love Thee supremely, and our neighbors as our- 
selves. Make us forbearing and forgiving in dispo- 
sition, and may we ever possess that spirit which 
will lead us to pray for our enemies, and to do good 
for evil. May all our words and actions be as 
becometh the followers of the meek and lowly 
Jesus, and so may we continually grow in grace 
and in the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour. 

0 Lamb of God, Thou that takest away the sin 
of the world, bear our petitions before the Throne 
of Mercy, and may we receive favor through Thy 
intercession. Thou art the Way, the Truth, and the 



18 First Week. 



Life. May we come to the Father through Thee, 
and find abundant grace and mercy. 

0 Holy Spirit, Thou sanctifler of hearts, search 
us and cleanse us from all sin, and keep us in the 
right ways of the Lord. 

Remember, 0 Father, all our friends everywhere. 
Be near to all that are in trouble or distress ; heal 
the sick, comfort the feeble-minded, lift up the cast- 
down, encourage the despondent, succor the tempted, 
console the bereaved, restore the backslidden, and 
be a friend to all in need. 

Give us all grace that will enable us to walk 
humbly before the Lord, and may we ever possess 
that charity without which, though we possessed 
every other virtue, we should be as nothing. 

And now hear us, as we unitedly call upon Thee, 
in the words which Thou hast taught us to use : 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Monday E vexing. 

Hebrews I. 

0 Lord, hear Thou our evening prayer, for the 
sake of Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. 



Monday Evening. 



19 



With reverence and humility we bow before Thy 
throne, and worship at Thy footstool. Help us to 
humble our souls with our bodies. Mav we draw 
near to Thee with our hearts, while with our lips we 
call upon Thy name and worship Thee. Thou art 
great, and greatly to be praised. The heavens declare 
Thy glory, and the firmament showeth Thy handi- 
work ; day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto 
night showeth knowledge. As the day closes upon 
us, arid night draws its curtains around us, before we 
commit our bodies to our beds for repose, we desire 
to commit our souls to Thee, for Thy fatherly care 
and keeping, during the defenseless hours of sleep. 

We thank Thee, 0 God, for Thy goodness and 
mercy during the day. We thank Thee for food 
and for raiment. We thank Thee that our lives 
have been spared. We thank Thee for any success 
which may have attended our labors. We thank 
Thee, especially, for all the spiritual benefits and 
blessings which we have enjoyed; for the teachings 
of Thy word ; for the secret influences of Thy Holy 
Spirit on our hearts ; for restraining grace ; for the 
lessons of Thy providence, and for the hope of eternal 
life. We praise Thee the more for all these bless- 
ings, temporal and spiritual, because we have been 
so unworthy of them all. We have sinned against 
Thee in word, thought and deed; we have neglected 
our duty ; we have done the things we ought not to 
have done ; we have provoked Thee to anger ; and 
yet amid all Thou hast been merciful and kind to us. 
We beseech Thee, 0 God, to forgive us our sins. For 



20 



First Week. 



the sake of our dear Redeemer, blot them out from 
the book of Thy remembrance. Heal our backslid- 
ings. Restore unto us the joy of Thy salvation; 
and let us this night retire to rest with the sweet 
persuasion in our hearts that God is reconciled to 
us, and that if any of us should be called to die 
before the dawn of another day, we may die in 
peace with God and all mankind, and have minis- 
tered unto us an abundant entrance into Thine 
everlasting kingdom and glory. 

We pray for others as well as ourselves, God be 
merciful to the afflicted ! Comfort the bereaved and 
broken-hearted ; give bread to the hungry, clothing 
to the naked, and shelter to the suffering poor. Deal 
tenderly with orphanage and widowhood, and dis- 
pense the blessings of a generous providence on all 
sorts and conditions of suffering humanity, as Thou 
dost the sunshine and the rain upon the evil and the 
good; and hasten the day when a universal right- 
eousness shall prevail, and all flesh together shall see 
the salvation of our God. 

And now, Father of mercies and God of love, into 
Thy hands we commit ourselves, our friends, and all 
that are dear to us, for Thy safe-keeping this night. 
Let no evil befall us. Shield us from the pestilence 
which walketh in darkness, as Thou hast from the 
destruction which wasteth at noonday. Give us 
refreshing sleep. Save us from accident, disease 
and death, and bring us all to see the light of a new 
day. Prepare us for its duties, and for all the 
duties, labors and trials of future life. May we 



Tuesday Morning. 



21 



work while it is day, remembering that the night 
cometh when no man can work. And when the 
sim of life shall go down, and the night of death 
shall forever close our probation on earth, give us a 
home in heaven, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 



Tuesday Moening. 

Psalms XCVII— VIII. 

The angels veil their faces before Thee, 0 Lord, 
and shall not dust and ashes be humbled in the 
presence of Thy majesty! We are afraid that we 
have offered unto Thee too often the expressions of 
our lips, while our hearts have not been in them. 
Pardon this sin, and grant us grace to be sincere in 
every act of worship. 0, may we not ask for mer- 
cies which we do not really desire. But help us 
ever to worship Thee with reverence and with godly 
fear, so that we may be heard when we call upon 
Thee in the name of Jesus Christ. 

We have been permitted to see the light of 
another day, not because of any merit there is in us, 
but of Thy great goodness. Help us to number our 
days so as to apply our hearts unto wisdom, and as 
we grow in age may we grow in grace and in the 
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 
Grant that every good disposition may be formed in 
us by the daily study of Thy Holy Word, which is 
able to make us wise unto salvation. Help us to 



22 



First Week. 



adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. 
In all our business may we remember that a review 
of the transactions with which we are connected will 
be had at Thy bar, and may we do all things heartily 
as unto God, and not unto man. 

We pray for the Church, that all Thy followers 
may be true and humble, walking in' the footsteps 
of Jesus, avoiding even the appearance of evil, and 
keeping themselves unspotted from the world. Keep 
Thy ministers holy, and Thy people pure. Animate 
them with strong desire to spread the Gospel over 
the earth, and may no labors be considered by them 
too arduous to promote the Redeemer's kingdom. 
Grant that our family may not be behind in any 
good work. Let the mind which was in Jesus be 
also in us, that we may have the honor of being His 
friends and the happiness of entering into His joy. 

All that we desire now and ever is asked in the 
name and through the infinite mercies of Christ, our 
Mediator. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thv 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation; but deliver us from evil; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen 



Tuesday Evening. 



23 



Tuesday Evening. 

Matthew II. 

0 Lord, we adore Thee, as our Creator, Preserver 
and Redeemer. We would offer unto Thee the 
sacrifice of praise, with thanksgiving, for all the 
goodness and mercy which Thou art daily causing 
to pass before us. Thou hast heard our morning 
prayer, Thou hast preserved us throughout the day, 
Thou art still supplying our wants, and giving us all 
things richly to enjoy. Above all, 0 God, we thank 
Thee for the gift of Thy Son; for the means of 
grace, and the hope of glory. Bless to us at this 
time the reading of Thy word. May it be the sealed 
- instruction of Thy Spirit, and may the fruit be unto 
holiness, and the end everlasting life. Look on the 
face of Thine anointed, and look in mercy upon us. 
For Thy name's sake, for Thy mercy's sake, blot out 
all our transgressions. Receive us graciously, heal 
all our backslidings, and love us freely. Enable us 
to lead a life of faith in Thy Son; to hate every 
false way, to depart from evil and do good ; to add 
to our faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, 
godliness, brotherly kindness and charity, that these 
things being in us, and abounding, we may neither 
be barren nor unfruitful, in the knowledge of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. And may we give all diligence 
to make our calling and election sure, that we may 
never fall, that we may endure temptation, that we 
may be faithful until death, and save us in the ever- 
lasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 
Take us all, 0 Lord, under Thy protecting care 



24: 



First Week. 



during the silent watches ; suffer no evil thing to 
come nigh our dwelling; make us to lie down in 
peace, and to dwell safely under the cover of Thy 
wings. Bring us, if it be Thy holy will, into the 
light of a new day, and when we awake may we be 
still with Thee. We know not, 0 Lord, what trials 
may yet await us ; but do Thou prepare us for every 
one that may befall us. We adore Thee for the 
riches of Thy grace, and we will trust in the wisdom 
of Thy providence. Thy chastisements are not for 
Thy pleasure, but for our profit; Thou dost not 
willingly afflict nor grieve the children of men. We 
would look to Him who endured the cross for our 
sakes, and who, in that He suffered, being tempted, 
is able to succor us when we are tempted. The 
very hairs of our head are all numbered, and not a 
sparrow falleth to the ground without Thee. We 
will trust in Thee, and not be afraid ; for Thou art 
our strength and our song ; Thou also art become 
our salvation. We commend to Thee all who are 
dear to us. Watch over them and bless them ; and 
may they all, together with us, be kept by Thy 
power through faith unto eternal life. And all that 
we ask is in the name of Christ, and for His sake. 
Amen. 



Wednesday Morning. 

Psalms XCV— VI. 

0 God, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, we 
approach Thee as our Father, trusting in the name 



Wednesday Morning. 



25 



and merits of our adorable Redeemer. We renounce 
all dependence on ourselves, wretched and misera- 
ble, and poor and blind and naked; we take Thee 
as all our salvation and all our desire. 

Blessed God, we are not judges of what is good 
for us, what blessings are best to* receive, what fan- 
cied good is best withholden. May we live conscious 
of the predominating motive of love to Thee. May 
we seek in every providence to hear Thy voice, in 
every event to read Thy will. May we refuse to 
listen where Thou dost not speak to us. Where 
Thy voice is heard, may there be the willing response, 
"Lord, here am I." May we feel Thy favor light- 
ening every cross and lessening every care. Lord, 
give us more of the simplicity of little children. 
Keep us watchful and humble and thankful. Keep 
us from pride and vain-glory; from all envy and 
uncharitableness ; from all evil surmisings and un- 
kind insinuations ; all that would exalt ourselves at 
the expense of others. May we learn to esteem 
others better than ourselves. 

Look in great mercy on all the family of sorrow. 
Do Thou whisper gently to them, "I am Jesus." 
Man's sympathy can go but a short way; Thine 
can vibrate to every cord of the broken spirit. 
Teach us all in the midst of health and strength to 
prepare for the hour of adversity. There is nothing 
permanent here. The most secure fabric of earthly 
happiness may in a moment be swept down. Give 
us to know what it is to look to a strong tower 
which cannot be shaken, but remains. We are in 



26 



First Week. 



our true rest if we are in Tliee. Do Thou gladden 
our pathway through life. May we be lighted 
through the dark valley with the torch of Thy love. 

We commend our family to Thy care. Seal to 
them an interest in the everlasting covenant. Bless 
the young. May they know the happiness of those 
who fear Thee. Preserve them from the snares of 
a world lying in wickedness. May they be early 
" taught of God/' and so inherit Thine own promise 
of such. 

Take us under Thy love this day. "Keep us 
beneath Thine own overshadowing wings." May 
all our duties be gladdened with a sense of Thy 
presence and love. May we have a single eye in 
all we think and say and do to the glory of Him, in 
whose most precious words we would farther pray, 
saying : 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Wednesday Evening, 

Hebrews II. 

0 Thou eternal and unchangeable God, Thou art 
the same yesterday, to-day and forever; by Thine 



Wednesday Evening. 



27 



almighty power and providential care we have been 
preserved another day, and through Thy grace per- 
mitted once more to approach Thee in prayer. Help 
us to consecrate ourselves, and all that we have and 
are, to Thee. Enable us to glorify Thee in our 
bodies and spirits, which are Thine. 

We render Thee thanks for the mercies which 
have followed us to the present hour. Bless the 
Lord, 0 our souls, and forget not all His benefits. 

Enable us, by Thy grace, to show forth Thy praise 
in a holy and consistent walk and conversation. 
May we let our light so shine that others, seeing our 
good works, may glorify our Father who art in heaven. 

With an acknowledgment of Thy mercies, we 
would confess our multiplied offenses against Thee. 
But, 0 most merciful Father, for the sake of Thy 
Son Jesus Christ, pardon our iniquities. Wash us 
in that fountain which was opened in the house of 
David for sin and uncleanness. Sprinkle us with 
atoning blood. Create within us clean hearts, and 
renew within us right spirits. 

Almighty God, visit in mercy the congregation 
of worshiping Christians with which we are con- 
nected. Make bare Thine arm for the salvation of 
sinners, and give abundant success to the ministra- 
tion of the word and ordinances among us. To this 
end, revive Thy work in the hearts of Thine own 
children, and endow Thy servant, our pastor, with 
wisdom and grace from on high, that he may rightly 
divide the word of life and faithfully discharge the 
duties of his office. May the young be trained in the 



28 



* 

First Week. 



nurture and admonition of the Lord, that they may 
remember their Creator in the days of their youth. 

Bless all Thy ministering servants and Thy Church 
universal with an abundant outpouring of Thy Holy 
Spirit, and with a time of refreshing from the pres- 
ence of the Lord. 

Regard in tender mercy our absent relations and 
friends. Make them, by Thy grace, the children of 
Thine adoption, and heirs of eternal life. Heal the 
sick and comfort the afflicted. 

To Thy watchful care and kind protection we 
commend our bodies and souls this night. Preserve 
us from all evil ; grant us refreshing sleep ; and, if 
consistent with Thy divine will, permit us in health 
and comfort to behold and enjoy the light of another 
day. Have mercy on all who shall this night sleep 
the sleep of death. Give grace to them that are 
appointed to die, that they may find peace in 
believing, and salvation in the atoning sacrifice of 
Thy Son Jesus Christ. 

Hear us, 0 Lord, in these our humble petitions. 
Accept our thanksgivings and praise, and graciously 
own and accept us, through Jesus Christ our Re- 
deemer. Amen. 



Thursday Morning, 

Psalm XVIII. 

0 God of our salvation, on Thee we depend for 
every good thing. Although we have rebelled 



Thursday Morning. 



29 



against Thee, Thou hast not destroyed us, but art 
still gracious and ready to forgive. Thou hast 
watched over us during the hours of our rest, and 
Thou hast brought us in peace and safety to the light 
and duties of another day. We bless and praise 
Thee for this undeserved protection. Thou art con- 
tinually affording us fresh occasions for praise and 
thankfulness. 0 may Thy goodness lead us to 
repentance. May Thy preserving care be extended 
to us this day. Keep us by Thy mighty power 
from evil and danger, and enable us to live not unto 
ourselves, but unto Thee. May we daily walk in 
the way of Thy commandments, glorifying Thee in 
our souls and bodies, which are Thine. Thou hast 
assured us in Thy word, that if we acknowledge 
Thee in all our ways Thou wilt direct our path : we 
would, therefore, commit ourselves entirely to Thee, 
to be guided by Thy wisdom, and disposed of to the 
glory of Thy name. 

0 take not Thy Holy Spirit from us, nor withhold 
from us the comforts of Thy presence. But 0 have 
mercy on us ! And deal not with us according to 
our deserts, but according to Thy loving kindness 
and tender compassion. Give us not over to the 
love and dominion of sin. Spare us and give us 
true repentance, and turn us wholly unto Thyself. 
Lift upon us the light of Thy reconciled countenance, 
and shed abroad Thy love in our hearts. Grant us 
a comfortable assurance of our acceptance with 
Thee, that we ma}^ rejoice in Thy favor, and glory 
in the God of our salvation. As guilty sinners, we 



30 



First Week. 



look to the Cross, and behold by faith the Lamb of 
God for sinners slain. Our hope is in the blood 
of Christ, which cleanseth from all sin. As helpless, 
we look to Thee for strength, and rejoice that Christ 
is our strength and our portion forever. As naked, 
we come to Thee to be clothed in the spotless robe 
of our Redeemer's justifying righteousness. 

While we are in the flesh, 0 Lord, give to us all 
things needful for us during our earthly pilgrimage. 
Make us humble in all our enjoyments, and submis- 
sive and patient under all our trials, and sanctify to 
us all the events of Thy wise and adorable provi- 
dence, till, through the merits of Thy Son and the 
multitude of Thy mercies, we are received into that 
rest which remaineth for Thy people. 

Be very gracious to Thy Church universal. May 
all, of every name and denomination, experience a 
time of refreshing from Thy presence. Revive Thy 
work in the hearts of all Thy people. 

Regard in mercy our dear absent friends. Make 
them all Thy friends. Guide them by Thy counsel, 
and afterwards receive them to glory. 

Bring all nations to the knowledge and love of 
the truth as it is in Jesus. Hasten the coming of 
Thy kingdom, and save us, through Jesus Christ. 

Our Father, who art in heaven: Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread ; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 



Thursday Evening. 



31 



is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Thursday Evening. 

II. Corinthians V. 

0 Lord God, whose message the Gospel, and 
whose gift salvation is, impress upon our minds the 
precious truths contained in that portion of Thy 
word which has now been read. May they prove 
profitable to us for doctrine and reproof, for cor- 
rection and instruction in righteousness. We have 
heard of the judgment-seat of Christ as a scene of 
terror and dismay ; but, thanks be to Thy name, we 
have also heard of an atoning Saviour, and of an 
incorruptible inheritance. In that Saviour may we 
all believe ; of that inheritance may we all be heirs. 
If our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved, 
may we have a building of God, a house not made 
with hands, eternal in the heavens. In life may we 
have a good hope through grace of a happier life 
to come. By the gate of death may we enter into 
paradise. At the resurrection day may our bodies 
be raised in glory. At the judgment-seat of Christ 
may we be accepted of Him. Throughout eternity 
may we be glad with the joy of the redeemed. 
Grant, Father of mercies, that even now, in the 
believing contemplation of Jesus Christ, in the 
experience of Thy saving grace, and in the antici- 
pation of the glory yet to be revealed, our hearts 
may be comforted and cheered. But while we 



32 



First Week. 



rejoice in Thy salvation, may we also labor in Thy 
cause. To our own souls may we give earnest 
heed. May the love of Christ constrain us. May 
the Holy Ghost assist and prosper us. God of 
mercy, have mercy on the world. May it become 
as a field which the Lord hath blessed. Give Thy 
ministers great success. May Thy Church be edi- 
fied. May many souls be saved. Regard with 
kindness all more especially related to ourselves. 
Do them good in Thy good pleasure. From the 
youngest to the oldest, from the richest to the 
poorest of them all, peace be on them and mercy. 
Accept of our thanks for Thy great kindness towards 
us in the course of this day. Follow its events 
with Thy blessing, and pardon its innumerable sins. 
Grant us refreshing sleep this night. Raise us up, 
if it be Thy will, to-morrow morning ; and give us 
grace to devote our continued lives to Thy holy 
service. Answer our prayers in peace, 0 God, for 
Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. 



Friday Morning. 

Psalm XCI. 

0 Lord, we adore Thee as God over all, blessed 
for evermore. Thou art the former of our bodies 
and the Father of our spirits ; in Thee we live and 
move and have our being. 0 give us the blessing 
of grateful hearts, feeling that the least blessing we 



Friday Morning. 



33 



have is unmerited on our part, and a gift of free 
grace on Thine. 

We come anew, glorying in the finished work of 
our adorable Surety. We bless Thee that Thou 
art not changeable as we are, else we should long 
ere now have been consumed. 

May the unwavering eye of faith be kept on 
Jesus, and we can sink no more. How many have 
intrusted their eternal all on the finished work of 
Him ! Blessed Jesus, we are complete in Thee ; we 
have nothing to pay for, for Thou hast paid all. 
We have nothing to procure, for Thou hast pro- 
cured all. Everlasting forgiveness, everlasting 
righteousness, everlasting union and communion 
with Thee now and evermore. Let us, while living 
in the world, live above it. Educate us for eternity. 
Let Thy Spirit be our teacher, let Thy word be our 
guide, let Thy will be our sovereign motive, let Thy 
glory be our ultimate end. Let us make religion 
the principal thing, the one thing needful. Let us 
not live content with indefinite hopes of final safety. 
Let us not live half-way to Thee, with an eye to 
both worlds, and thus infallibly to forfeit both. Let 
our motto be " Pilgrims and strangers on the earth," 
"we desire a better country." 

Give us a salutary sense of the uncertainty of life. 
May we feel that the great secret of existence is to 
be in an habitual state of preparedness for a dying 
hour, and to be living so that the step between us 
and death may be a step between us and glory. 

Bless all connected with us. May there be ties 

3 



34 



First Week. 



binding us together which will survive the uncertain 
ones of earth. Whether those who are now bending 
with us around Thy throne, or those who are absent, 
may an ever-present God be with them, guiding 
them by His grace, defending them from temptation, 
fitting them by the salutary dealings of His provi- 
dence for the varied duties of the present life, and 
for the joys of His saints in glory everlasting. 

Bless the lambs of Thy flock (more especially 
those now before Thee). We commend them to 
the Great Shepherd of the sheep, beseeching Him 
to make them perfect and to fold them in the arms 
of His mercy. We put ourselves in Thy hands. 
May all our doings this day, begun, carried on and 
ended in Thee, redound, through Jesus, to Thy 
praise and glory. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Friday Evening, 

Matthew XIII, 24—58. 

Heavenly Father, we desire, at the conclusion 
of another day, to draw nigh unto Thee in a social 
and family capacity. Be pleased Thyself to draw 



Friday Evening. 



35 



us as with the cords of affection and the bands of 
love. Give us to say, with Thy servant of old : As 
the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth 
our soul after Thee, 0 God. 

We would give Thee thanks that Thou hast set up 
a kingdom in this our world, a kingdom which shall 
never be destroyed, and against which the gates of 
hell shall not be suffered to prevail. We would 
rejoice in the measure of success which this kingdom, 
so small in its beginnings, hath already had. Hasten, 
we beseech Thee, the latter-day glory. May the 
time soon come when Thou wilt give Thy Son the 
heathen for His inheritance, and the uttermost parts 
of the earth for His possession. We thank Thee 
more especially that this kingdom hath been set up 
amongst ourselves, and that we have been born in a 
Gospel land. 0 may we of this household be made 
willing and obedient subjects of Messiah's kingdom, 
so that, when the summer is past and the harvest is 
come, our souls may not be gathered with sinners, 
but may be bound up in the bundle of life. What 
we ask for ourselves we would also beseech in 
behalf of all whom we ought to bear upon our spirits 
at a throne of grace. Set up a throne in the heart 
of each one of our friends, and an altar in all their 
families. Bless them with Thy blessing, even life 
everlasting. Everywhere restrain abounding sin. 
Let the people praise Thee, let all the people praise 
Thee. 

We beseech Thee to pardon the sins of which we 
have this day been guilty ; for alas ! there is no day 



36 



First Week. 



in all our lives which bears not the mark upon it of 
some wickedness committed against Thee. And 
that Thou art sparing us alive, and continuing to 
supply our wants, and giving us time and opportu- 
nity for repentance ; this is not because Thou seest 
any goodness in us, but because Thy compassions 
fail not, and because Thy mercy endureth forever. 

We would commit ourselves to Thy care. Watch 
over us during the night; preserve us, we entreat 
Thee, from the pestilence that walketh in darkness. 
Spare us, if it be Thy will, that we may see the light 
of a new day; .and enable us to spend all the days 
of our pilgrimage here in Thy fear and service. 
Guide us with Thy counsel while we live, and after- 
ward receive us to glory. And now unto Thee, the 
Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, be glory and 
dominion forever and ever. Amen. 



Saturday Moening. 

Psalm V. 

Almighty and all-gracious God, with reverence 
for Thine august and holy character, with grateful 
love for all Thy mercies every morning and evening 
anew, we bow before Thee. Let the words of our 
mouths and the meditations of our hearts be accept- 
able in Thy sight, 0 Lord, our strength and our 
Redeemer. 

We bless Thee for the creation of our intelligent 



Saturday Morning. 



37 



and immortal natures, that Thou hast made us capa- 
ble of present and everlasting happiness. We praise 
Thee that Thou hast preserved us for so many years 
and through so many perils, by day and night, in 
childhood and riper years. We especially give Thee 
thanks for that kind providence that has brought us 
safely through the days and nights of another week 
to behold the light and enter upon the privileges of 
this its last day ; but, above all, we bless Thee for 
the inestimable gift of Thy Son our Saviour, who 
came to seek and save the lost, and call sinners to 
repentance. 

But we are painfully sensible that these mercies 
have not been conferred because we have merited 
them, for we know that we have sinned against 
light and love, but Thou hast bestowed them for 
Christ's sake, because Thou art good and doest 
good, and Thy tender mercies are over all Thy 
works. We beseech Thee, for Christ's sake, to par- 
don all our sins and lift upon us the light of Thy 
countenance graciously reconciled. We pray Thee 
go before us and prepare us for all the experiences 
of this new-given day ; graciously be with us in all 
the hours and needs of the day, and mercifully come 
after us to correct our errors, and bless all the good 
endeavors of the day and of the departed week. 

May we be careful for nothing, but in everything, 
by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let 
our request be made known unto Thee. May we 
leave our lives, our health, our families and temporal 
fortunes to the care of the Wisdom that never errs 



38 



First Week. 



and the Goodness that never does wrong. As 
through the shades of the night Thy providence has 
been a pillar of fire, let it be this day a pillar of 
cloud. 

With us bless Thy Church universal. Bless her 
membership, her ministry, her institutions, and all 
her enterprises. Hasten Thou the spread of the 
glorious Gospel, until earth's remotest nation hast 
heard Messiah's name. 

We pray for widowhood and orphanage, for the 
sick, the bereaved, the destitute, for all in peril and 
appointed this day to die. 

We pray for our loved ones, near by and far 
away, that it may please Thee to have them in Thy 
holy care, and especially that thou wouldst lead 
them to repentance. 

We pray that throughout all the busy toils and 
crowding cares of this day we may have Thy love 
in our hearts, and Thy fear before our eyes; and 
grant that we may have a happy fruition of the 
promise, that as our day so shall be our strength. 
And when the day's toils and perils shall be passed, 
may we feel that we have traveled the narrow path, 
and that we pitch our tents a day nearer heaven. 
And when that hour comes to us, which must come 
to all, may it find us with girded robes and burning 
lamps and waiting for our Lord, and to Thy glorious 
name, through Jesus Christ, shall be everlasting 
praises. 

Our Father, who art in heaven: Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 



Saturday Evening. 



39 



earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Saturday Evening. 

Romans V. 

0 Lord, we desire to come into Thy sacred pres- 
ence on this the close of another day, and the 
termination of another week, adoring Thee for all 
Thy great goodness toward us. We are unworthy 
of the least of all Thy mercies. But the dying of 
Jesus has opened the door to a Father's heart. We 
can now look up to His glorious throne and behold 
His face beaming with reconciliation. 

We can behold death itself stript of its terrors, — 
the dark valley lighted up with the countenance 
and presence of a gracious Saviour. 

Lord, after such a pledge of Thy kindness, we 
believe that Thou wilt with Him also freely give us 
all things. If Thou deny us earthly bliss and earthly 
happiness, let the very denial be sweet to us, know- 
ing that it is the will of infinite love. Other joys 
may fail us; Thou never wilt. Let us cleave to 
Thee as our souls' best portion. And if there be 
times in our earthly history when we are forced to 
exclaim, a Yerily Thou art a God that hidest Thy- 
self," we shall look forward with joy to that better 



40 



First Week. 



world where mystery shall give way to perfect 
knowledge. Lord, make us more holy ; sanctify us 
through Thy truth ; keep us watchful, keep us hum- 
ble, keep us from all pride, vain glory and hypocrisy. 
Let us live as pilgrims, with our eyes heavenward. Let 
us ever be journeying, and drawing nearer Thee. 

We pray for others as well as for ourselves. 
Draw near in mercy this night to any who may be 
in sorrow and distress, or who may be mourning 
the loss of beloved relatives. Do Thou sanctify 
their trials, that their very losses may turn into 
riches. May Thy blessing and favor and love com- 
pensate for all that the world can either give or 
take away. 

Bless our beloved friends ; enroll their names in 
the Lamb's book of life. Bless every member of 
this family now surrounding Thy footstool; give 
them the heritage of those that fear Thy name. Do 
Thou spare us long together as an unbroken circle 
on earth; and when we shall be called to leave 
behind us this lower valley, may we be conducted 
into those blessed regions which eye hath not seen 
nor ear heard, where there shall be no more parting 
and no more death, neither sorrow nor sighing, for 
the former things shall have passed away. 

We commend ourselves to Thy Fatherly protec- 
tion during the silent watches of the night. Do 
Thou give us tranquil repose, lying down in Thy 
fear and awaking in Thy favor, fitted and prepared 
for all the holy duties and services of Thy holy Sab- 
bath. And all that we ask is for Jesus' sake. Amen. 



SECOND WEEK. 



Sunday Morning. 

Psalms I — II. 

Praise waiteth for Thee, 0 God, in Zion, and 
unto Thee shall the vow be performed. Enable us 
to draw nigh at this time unto Thee, in the all-pre- 
vailing name of our only Mediator, Jesus Christ the 
righteous. For His sake pardon our iniquity, which 
is very great. May Thy Holy Spirit dwell within 
us, that we may never walk in the counsel of the 
ungodly, nor stand in the w r ay of sinners, nor sit in 
the seat of the scornful. It is of Thy mercy that we 
have not followed a multitude to do evil, and this 
day we would bless Thy name for the institution of 
the Christian Sabbath. Blessed be the God and 
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, according 
to His abundant mercy, hath begotten us again 
unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus 
Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible 
and undefiled, and that fadeth not away. May 
we rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for 
our sins, and rose again for our justification, and 
who ever liveth to make intercession for us. Be 
pleased, 0 Lord, to send forth Thy light and Thy 
truth ; let them lead us, let them bring us unto Thy 
holy hill. May our delight be in the law of the 



42 



Second Week. 



Lord, and in Thy law may we meditate day and 
night. Sanctify us through Thy truth. Thy word 
is truth. Make us fruitful in every good word and 
work. Make us as trees planted by the rivers of 
water. Bless the reading of Thy word and the 
public duties of Thy sanctuary. Go with us if we 
go to the house of prayer, and grant Thy heavenly 
blessings to pastor and people, that whatsoever 
shall be spoken or heard may be as it becometh the 
oracles of God. Suffer not the good seed to be 
choked, or to be rendered unfruitful, by the cares 
of this world. Thou hast set Thy King upon Thy 
holy hill of Zion. May all nations be blessed in 
Him and call Him blessed. May the kingdoms of 
this world become the kingdoms of our God and of 
His Christ. Yisit with Thy special consolations the 
sons and daughters of affliction. .Let them receive, 
0 Lord, this day Thy special care. 

We render our united thanks for the blessings 
and privileges of the by-gone week, for the rest of 
the past night, and for the return of Thy holy day. 
Unworthy of the least of all Thy mercies, we cast 
ourselves on the exceeding riches of Thy grace, in 
Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose words we sum up 
these our petitions : 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 



Sunday Evening. 



43 



is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Sunday Evening, 

Hebrews III. 

0 Thou that hearest prayer, and to whom all 
flesh should come, we bow us down in Thy presence 
that we may lift up our hearts in devout supplica- 
tion to Thee. Thou art to be adored as the only 
living and true God, whose kingdom is everlasting, 
and whose dominion endureth throughout all gen- 
erations. Thou art also a God of loving kindness 
and tender mercy, to whom the guilty may come 
and find pardon and salvation. 

Grant unto us now, our heavenly Father, the 
effectual aid of Thy Spirit, that our prayer may be 
thereby rendered acceptable and find a return of 
mercy and peace. 

We thank Thee, 0 Lord, that another Sabbath 
day, with its train of blessings, has been permitted 
us, and that we are thereby reminded of the rest 
which remains to Thy people, and which they are 
to enter upon and enjoy when the cares and burdens 
of life shall have been laid aside forever. We bless 
Thee for the many and oft-repeated favors with 
which Thou hast distinguished us, but especially for 
the gift of Thy Son, whose blood is our ransom from 
the power of sin and death. 

The debt of gratitude which we owe Thee, 0 Lord, 
is increased more and more when we consider how 



44 



Second Week. 



we have forgotten Thee, neglected the admonitions 
of Thy word, and fixed our thoughts on vain and 
unprofitable things. And even in our attempts to 
pray unto Thee we are sensible of great coldness 
and formality, and may well doubt if such prayers 
can secure the notice of our God. Surely none but 
Him who forgiveth iniquity and passeth by trans- 
gression, and whose compassions fail not, could have 
so spared and favored us. 

Thou knowest, 0 Lord, how weak and easily 
broken are the resolves we form to enter upon a 
new life and to follow more closely the teachings of 
Thy word and Spirit, and we beseech Thee so to 
strengthen us by the inward might of Thy grace 
that we may overcome every hindrance and win the 
crown of life. We desire to be made subject to Thy 
holy will in all things, and to be partakers more and 
more of the mind that was in Christ, knowing that 
we must bear the image of the heavenly if we are 
to enter the paradise of our God. 

The many Sabbaths which we have seen come 
and go since we began the pilgrimage of life may 
well serve to remind us that we are far advanced 
on our journey, and that the close of our career 
cannot be far in the distance. We are moving on 
with the vast multitude of souls that are to appear 
at Thy judgment-seat. 0 Lord, let not Thy great 
and terrible day come upon us unawares, but grant 
that when we lie down in our last sleep it may be 
in certain prospect of waking with Thy saints. 

We desire, most merciful Lord, that Thy word of 



Sunday Evening. 



45 



truth shall prevail every where, and that all men may 
become partakers of Thy grace. Grant, therefore, 
to go forth with the ministers of Thy word, and so 
aid them that they shall win many souls to Christ. 
May it be that the services held on this Sabbath day 
in the various places appointed for the same shall 
prove signally effectual, leading many souls to lay 
hold on eternal life. 

We pray for the welfare of others; our kindred 
by the flesh ; our brethren in Christ of every name 
and in every place ; the poor and needy, the afflicted 
and distressed, and the souls that are taking leave 
of the world. Remember the sorrowing ones whose 
burden is sin, and set them at liberty in Christ. 
Carry on the blessed work of saving men by the 
preaching of the Cross, and send out many more 
faithful laborers into Thy harvest-field. 

Remember how much sin abounds in our midst, 
and how powerless we are to stay the tide of 
iniquity, and let Thy grace so abound that a great 
deliverance may be wrought out for us. 

We most humbly beseech Thee, 0 Lord, to give 
Thy grace to every one of us who bow 'around this 
altar, and as godliness is profitable unto all things, 
let its excellence appear in the members of this 
household, uniting their hearts, harmonizing their 
views, consolidating their efforts, and smoothing the 
way for the success of every laudable plan. May 
we set the Lord always before us ; and may He be 
at our right hand, that we may not be moved. 

And when the hour shall come for us to cross 



46 



Second Week. 



over the stream of death, may Thy grace comfort 
us and give us eternal rest, through Jesus Christ 

our Lord. Amen. 

■ 

— 

Monday Morning. 

Psalms III— IV. 

0 Lord, we give Thee thanks for permitting us to 
behold another day in quiet and comfort. We 
thank Thee for the privileges we yesterday enjoyed, 
and for the measure of knowledge Thou hast given 
us of Thy truth; for giving us a love for it; for 
quieting our souls in the midst of the business and 
distractions which surround us ; for the measure of 
rest and repose Thou hast given us in Thee, for no 
true content is found without Thee. Lord, we give 
Thee thanks also for the temporal blessings Thou 
hast heaped upon us, and for the means and oppor- 
tunities Thou hast given us of getting and doing 
good. We cannot name all Thy blessings; how 
shall we thank Thee for them ! May we thank Thee 
for them by honoring Thee in them ! 0 give us a 
heart to desire this sincerely, and grace to perform 
it, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Most gracious 
God, we confess we have justly provoked Thy wrath 
and indignation against us. We have angered Thee 
by the sins of our youth and the sins of our riper 
years, by the sins of our soul and the sins of our 
body, by our negligences and ignorances, by the 



Monday Morning. 



47 



evil things we have done to please ourself, and the 
evil things we have done to please others; by the 
sins we know and remember, and the sins we have 
forgotten; by the sins we have kept secret from 
others, and the sins by which we have made others 
to offend. And on this day, the beginning of an- 
other week of labor, would we confess how often in 
our duties we have forgotten Thee and given away 
to sin. But 0 be not angry with us forever, for we 
desire, with true and hearty sorrow, to confess our 
sinfulness, and with an earnest purpose to amend 
our conduct. Forgive, we beseech Thee, all we 
have done amiss, for His sake who died for our sins, 
and who now sitteth at Thy right hand to intercede 
for us, Thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Pardon all 
these our sins. Deliver us from the fear of Thy 
wrath, that, through faith in Thy blessed Son, we 
may serve Thee this day with a cheerful and quiet 
mind, and be a partaker of the consolations of Thy 
Spirit, as well as walk in the way of Thy command- 
ments, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Almighty 
God, who hast commanded us six days thou shalt 
labor, and hast ordered us to be diligent in business, 
help us to perform the duties Thou hast appointed 
us to do ; and in doing them keep us from forget- 
ting Thee. Make us thoroughly honest in all our 
dealings with our fellow-men, perfectly truthful, 
kind and courteous, patient and loving towards 
every one. May we abstain from all fleshly lusts, 
which war against the soul and mortify the deeds 
of the body. Let us not live to please ourself 



48 



Second Week. 



merely, but also for the good of others. May we 
follow the example of Thy dear Son, who did no 
sin. May we deny ourself and live soberly, right- 
eously and godly in this present evil world, and may 
we come at last to Thy eternal kingdom, through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Monday Evening. 

II. Corinthians IV. 

Most gracious God, Father of all mercies, God 
of our salvation, we desire this evening to approach 
the footstool of Thy throne of grace. We would 
end another day of mercy with the tribute of grateful 
hearts. What shall we render unto Thee for all Thv * 
benefits! Never for a solitary moment hast Thou 
withdrawn from us Thy hand of love. We may well 
have no anxious thought about the morrow when 
we have such a God on whom to cast "all our 
cares/' and who has given us in the past so many 
wondrous proofs that "He careth for us." 

We desire anew to cast ourselves on the merits 
and righteousness of Thy dear Son. May this be 



Monday Evening. 49 

the history of each of us, u the chief of sinners, but 
I obtained mercy." That mercy has been bestowed 
on guilty thousands, and it is still free to us. We 
take refuge in the unchanging assurance that "He 
is able to save unto the uttermost." 

0 take these hearts of ours and make them Thine. 
May our inmost thoughts and desires and purposes 
be dedicated to Thy glory. May our time and tal- 
ents be laid out for Thee, that when our Lord cometh 
He may receive His own with usury. 

Bless all the families of the afflicted. The God of 
all consolation bind up their wounds. Let them 
know and believe that infinite love is in all Thine 
arrangements, that finite wisdom has no place in 
Thy dealings, that He with whom they have to do 
cannot do wrong. Give us all this lowly spirit of 
submission to Thy will. Whether Thou chasten us 
or gladden us, whether prosperity or adversity be 
our portion, 0 bring us nearer Thee. May Thy 
dealings serve to trim the lamp of faith and keep it 
brightly burning. 

Extend Thy covering wings over all whom we 
love. Bless our own immediate household; sprinkle 
them with the blood of Jesus. (Write the names of 
the children in the Lamb's book of life.) May we 
all at last be included in the closing invitation to 
His Church, u Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit 
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation 
of the world." 0 that we might all be living in the 
joyful expectancy of a better life! May our lives 
now be hid with Christ in God, that when Christ, 

4 



50 



Second Week. 



who is our life, shall appear, we may also appear 
with Him in glory. 

Watch Thou over us during the unconscious hours 
of sleep. May we close our eyes at peace with 
Thee, and awake refreshed and invigorated for the 
duties of a new day. 

Hear these our unworthy petitions, and when 
Thou hearest, forgive, and grant us an answer in 
peace, for the Redeemer's sake. Amen, 



Tuesday Morning. 

Psalm XXVII. 

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, give us 
grace that we may now draw nigh unto Thee. Help 
us to realize our indebtedness to Thee for mercies 
already bestowed, and our dependence upon Thee 
for the blessings required for the present and the 
future. Reveal unto us our spiritual condition and 
the duties we owe to one another, to all our fellow- 
men and to Thee, that we may know how to pray 
and how to lead blameless lives in Thy service. If 
we have neglected any duty or committed any evil 
in Thy sight, we ask Thy help that we may now 
heartily repent; and we pray Thee to cleanse us 
from. all sin, through the merits of our Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ. May we ever remember Thy 
great mercy to us. 

Accept our thanks for the gifts of Thy providence, 



Tuesday Morxing. 



51 



which have supplied our daily need and multiplied 
our comforts and privileges. We bless Thee for the 
gift of Thy Son to redeem us, and for all the abound- 
ing means of grace ; for Thy precious word, a living 
ministry, and the will and privilege to worship Thee. 

We thank Thee that Thou hast kept us safely 
through the darkness and slumber of the night, and 
dost enable us to enter upon this new day in pos- 
session of so many assurances of Thy favor and love. 
May we spend all the day in cheerful obedience to 
Thy most gracious will. May all the talents that we 
possess be faithfully applied, so that we may grow 
in grace, do good to others, and glorify Thee before 
men. Save us from accident and sickness, from the 
evil influence of wicked friends, and the purposes 
and efforts of any who would injure us. Guard us 
in the moments of temptation, and give us grace for 
every trial. Help us to stay our minds on Thee, 
that we may have that peace which the world can 
neither give nor destroy. Minister, in thy loving 
kindness, to all the wants of our nature and condition. 

Eemember in tender mercy our absent relations 
and other friends. Give them what is needful for 
their safety, comfort, prosperity and salvation. Bless 
our enemies (if we have any), and all who despite- 
fully use us. Give to them and to us the spirit of 
true reconciliation and peace. Provide for the poor, 
minister unto the sick, comfort the distressed, deliver 
those in extremity, save those who are dying, con- 
vict poor sinners, pardon those who seek Thee, save 
the children from sin, lead those who are young, 



52 



Second Week. 



guide those of riper years, sustain and cheer the 
aged, relieve all who are oppressed, and enlighten, 
control and sanctify all who are in authority. Bless 
those who are called to preach Thy word, so that 
they may be consecrated in spirit and abundantly 
successful in their labors. Grant Thy Holy Spirit 
unto all Thy people, so that they may be one in 
heart and aim and effort, striving together for the 
salvation of souls. Revive pure and undefiled reli- 
gion everywhere, give the sure knowledge of Thy 
pardon and love to all who earnestly endeavor to 
trust and serve Thee, and hasten the day when all 
the world shall be filled with Thy glory. Guide us 
who now pray to Thee. May we be united in love 
and devotion to Thee. May we bear one another's 
burdens, and help one another, by precept and 
example, to be faithful unto Thee. May we so live 
and die that at last we all may meet in heaven. 

These blessings we ask through Jesus Christ our 
Redeemer. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth. as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread ; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 



Tuesday Evening. 



53 



Tuesday Evening, 

Luke XXI, 1—22. 

0 Lord, heaven is Thy throne and the earth is 
Thy footstool, and yet Thou hast graciously prom- 
ised to look to that man who is poor and of a con- 
trite spirit. Eegard us in Thy tender compassion. 
We humble ourselves under Thy mighty hand. We 
have done wrong so often, we have sinned against 
such light and such love, that we are ashamed this 
evening, and bow us in the dust before our Maker. 
But Thou art not willing that we should perish. 
Thou hast given Thy Son to die for our sins. Thou 
hast filled Thy word with great and precious prom- 
ises. We come pleading those promises. We come 
presenting again the plea of the adorable Redeem- 
er's death. 0, for Christ's sake, have mercy upon 
us ! Pardon and forgive us as individuals. And if 
the slightest root of bitterness has sprung up in our 
midst, if we have failed to bear with each other and 
to pray for each other, if any undue severity or any 
carelessness has been manifested in our attempts to 
discharge our duties, the Lord have mercy upon us. 
Help us to trust in the blood and merits of Jesus 
Christ for final redemption. 

Every day shows us how uncertain is this life. 
Grant that amidst its changes our hearts may be 
fixed where there are true joys. May our treasure 
be laid up in the skies; may our hearts be there. 
0 grant us grace to consider no burden too heavy 



54 



Second Week. 



to be borne, no cross too bitter to be endured, no 
foe too fierce to be met, so that we may do all Thou 
wouldst have us to do, so that we may be made 
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, so 
that at the last an abundant entrance may be minis- 
tered unto us into Christ's everlasting kingdom. 

And now, Lord, we adore Thee as well for our 
temporal as for our spiritual favors. We thank 
Thee that this day we have not lacked bread, we 
thank Thee that our reason has been continued to us, 
and that so many domestic comforts still surround 
us. We bless Thee for the advantages of living in 
a free and prosperous country. For our civil priv- 
ileges, for our social enjoyments, we render Thee 
our humble and hearty thanks. May we liever 
forget that every good and every perfect gift is from 
above, and cometh down from Thee. 

And now we commit to Thy hands (our children, 
our servants,) our friends, and all that pertains to our 
interests, humbly beseeching Thee to have a Fath- 
erly care over us in the hours of sleep, and to bring 
us, at the last, to Thy abode and Thy glory, through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 



Wednesday Morning. 

Romans XII. 

0 Lord God, how excellent is Thy loving kind- 
ness! Therefore do the sons of men put their 



Wednesday Morning. 



55 



trust under the shadow of Thy wings, and therefore 
do we desire still to look up to that bountiful 
hand of Thine, from whence we have received all 
our good things. 0 Lord, be Thou pleased to look 
down mercifully upon us, and be gracious and favor- 
able to us, as Thou hast ever been to those that 
love Thy name. Look upon us in mercy, through 
the merits and mediation of Thy Son our Saviour. 
Let us receive from Him those gifts which He is 
now empowered and commissioned to bestow; those 
gifts which are the purchase of His blood and the 
necessary means of our salvation. Accept and jus- 
tify our persons, renew and sanctify our souls, and 
so transform us into Thy blessed image that we may 
be meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the 
saints in light. 

Teach us to use this world without abusing it, 
and to enjoy the things of it without suffering them 
to engross our affections. Whatever we have of 
the world, let it be sanctified to us by the word of 
God and prayer. And whatsoever w^e want of the 
things of this life, 0 Lord, leave us not destitute of 
those things that accompany salvation ; but do Thou 
adorn our souls with all the graces of Thy Holy 
Spirit, that we may glorify Thee in all things, and 
that our conversation may be such as becometh the 
Gospel of Christ. 

Help us in the whole of our duty to Thee, and 
also in the discharge of all relative duties which we 
owe to men. Let us never cast a stumbling-block 
in the way of others, or cause Thy holy name to be 



56 Second Week. 

blasphemed through our misconduct; but let us 
pass the time of our sojourning here in fear, that, 
having glorified Thee on earth, we may be glorified 
by Thee in the great day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

And now that Thou hast renewed Thy mercies to 
us this morning, help us, gracious God, to renew 
our desires to serve and honor Thee. Kestrain us 
from the evils and follies into which we are prone 
to fall, and grant that we may think and speak and 
act as becometh saints, ever remembering that we 
are bought with the precious blood of Christ, and 
ever striving to live unto Him who died for us and 
rose again, to whom, with the Father and the Holy 
Ghost, be glory and honor, world without end. 

Our Father, who art in heaven: Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Wednesday Evening. 

Romans XIII. 

0 God, we come into Thy glorious presence on 
this the close of another day, beseeching Thee to 
fill us with fitting conceptions of Thy greatness. 
What mercy it is in Thee that Thou shouldst bend 
Thine ear to our feeble lispings of praise, that Thou 



Wednesday Evening. 



57 



shouldst listen to the sinner's cry! We could not 
have ventured into Thy presence but for Thy great 
love in Christ Jesus. Through Him alone it is that 
the words of our mouths and the meditations of our 
hearts are rendered acceptable in Thy sight. In 
Him we are pardoned, adopted, justified, saved. In 
Him we shall at last be presented without fault 
before the throne. We may well entrust our eternal 
all to His keeping. Our wants are infinite, but our 
help is infinite. He is waiting to dispense all needed 
grace, and for every time of need. We feel that 
we require grace for everything. Every moment is 
a moment of need. There is not the hour or instant 
we can live independent of Jesus. Do Thou carry 
on Thine own work within us. May it be a growing 
work, and may we be growing Christians, growing 
out of ourselves and into Him who is the living 
Vine. May the fruits of righteousness be the living 
evidences of our being grafted into Him. Purge 
us, that we may bring forth more fruit. Forbid that 
we should occupy ground in Thy vineyard, and yield 
no revenue of glory to Thee. Do Thou search our 
hearts. See if there be any wicked way in us, any- 
thing that may still be hindering our progress or 
grieving Thy Spirit. Lead us not in our own way, 
but choose Thou for us. Let us rejoice in Thee as 
a rich provider, who will give us nothing and deny 
us nothing but what is for our good. 

We commend to Thy Fatherly protection all near 
and dear to us this night. Keep them under the 
shadow of Thy wings; bless them and make them 



58 



Second Week. 



blessings. May they never lose sight of the chief 
end of their being, to glorify Thee on earth, and to 
enjoy Thee forever in heaven. 

Bless our own family. Take the charge of all of 
us this night. It is Thou who givest Thy beloved 
sleep. It is Thou only who makest us to dwell in 
safety. May each returning evening find us more 
ready for the coming of the Lord Jesus with all His 
saints. And all that we ask is for the Redeemer's 
sake. Amen. 



Thursday Morning. 

Psalm XXVI. 

Most blessed God, who hast again permitted us 
to see the beginning of another day, let us accept 
every new morning as a fresh gift of Thy bounty 
and love. 

We come to Thee this morning through the new 
and living way of access. We cast ourselves on 
the full, free and everlasting salvation of our adora- 
ble Redeemer. 

Lord, we take Thee as our only Saviour, ours 
only, ours wholly, ours in a living, ours in a dying 
hour; ours in the wilderness; ours till we reach the 
gates of glory — yea, ours forever and ever. It is 
our blessed consolation that no good thing wilt 
Thou withhold from them that walk uprightly. So 
that, without one misgiving, we may well confide 



Thursday Morning. 



59 



our all to Thee, saying, " Though He slay me, yet 
will I trust in Him." Let this be our consolation, 
"We are under our Father's direction." Make us 
more child-like, and obedient and submissive and 
heavenly -minded. We would wish to be no better 
and fare no better than covenant love and mercy 
would have us. The past is paved with mercy. We 
will hear Thy voice behind us, saying for the future, 
"Fear not, for I am with thee." 

Each of us has a great work to do, and a brief 
time to do it in. Let us live under the power of 
holy principles. May we feel that we are stewards 
in this world, put in trust for Thy glory. Let us 
even bless Thee for our cares, that we may cast all 
these upon Thee, and know experimentally that 
"Thou carest for us." 

Bless all near and dear to us. Our friends we 
commend to Thy friendship. Let not one of them be 
found wanting on the great day. May they be among 
the number of those who sleep in Jesus. Bless us 
who are now surrounding Thy footstool, (as parents 
or children.) May we all have affiance in Thee, and 
ever seek Thy honor and glory. 

Compassionate all in sorrow. May "the poor 
afflicted ones" take refuge in the assurance that 
Thou guidest the wheels of providence, that whatever 
befalls them is Thy doing. May we be all so living 
now that we may not at last be ashamed before Christ 
at His coming. Sanctify us, good Lord, in body, 
soul and spirit. Seal us until the day of eternal 
redemption. And all that we ask is for Jesus' sake. 



60 



Second Week. 



Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread ; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen: 



Thursday Evening, 

Psalm CHI. 

Our Heavenly Father, we would call upon our 
souls and all that is within us to bless Thy holy 
name for the many distinguished mercies of another 
day. Thou hast taken care of us during all of its 
hours, for it is in Thee that we live and move and 
have our being. Thou hast supplied all the wants 
of these frail and dependent bodies. Thou hast pro- 
tected us from temporal dangers, seen and unseen. 
Thou hast continued to us the power of reason, and 
Thou hast filled our minds with pleasant thoughts 
of Thee and of Thy mercy. Thdu hast elevated and 
purified, to some extent, as we humbly trust, the 
affections and aspirations of our souls. Thou hast 
constantly surrounded us with the tokens of Thy 
goodness and kindness and gentleness. In all our 
past lives Thou hast made the lines fall to us in 
pleasant places and hast given us a goodly heritage. 

Even in the midst of darkness Thou hast given us 
light. In the midst of bereavement and perplexity, 



Thursday Evening. 



61 



and trial of every kind, Thou hast been a very 
present Help in all such times of trouble ; and in all 
these tribulations Thou art aiming to purify us, and 
to prepare us for sympathy and companionship with 
Thee and with all the holy. And so with all these 
evidences of Thy mercy, which are fresh every morn- 
ing and continued every evening, we would call upon 
our souls to praise and to adore thee. 

And whilst we adore Thy matchless grace and 
Thine infinite compassion, we would also acknowl- 
edge, with humble and penitent hearts, our way- 
wardness, our forgetfulness of Thee, our indifference 
to duty, our negligence, our carelessness, our want 
of faith, our want of zeal, our want of spirituality, 
our want of piety. 

If Thou haclst dealt with us after our sins, or 
rewarded us according to our iniquities, we would 
long since have been cut off in the midst of our 
days, without hope and without mercy. But Thou 
art merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plen- 
teous in mercy. Like as a father pitieth his children, 
so Thou hast pitied us. Thou knowest our frame. 
Thou rememberest that we are dust, and we do 
praise Thee, and would magnify Thy name, for all 
this distinguishing grace and adorable mercy. 

And now, Father, as humble suppliants, kneeling 
at Thy throne of grace, we pray Thee to pardon our 
iniquity, for it is great. Blot out our transgressions 
from the book of Thy remembrance, and remember 
them no more against us forever. Lift upon us the 
light of Thy countenance, reconciled in Christ, and 



62 



Second Week. 



grant us Thy salvation. Look upon us in the face 
of Jesus, and for His sake restore unto us the joy of 
Thy salvation, and uphold us by Thy free Spirit. Cast 
us not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy 
Holy Spirit from us. Create in us clean hearts, 0 
God, and renew right spirits within us. Let the joy 
of the Lord be our light, and may the peace of God, 
which passeth all understanding, keep our hearts 
and minds, through Christ J esus. 

Follow with Thy blessing whatever we have done 
this day for Thy glory and for the good of our fellow- 
men, and pardon whatever Thy pure eyes have seen 
amiss in our hearts and in our outward deportment. 
Help us to grow in grace as we grow in years, and 
help us day by day to sow such seeds, by precept 
and example, as shall yield us an abundant harvest 
of pleasant memories in this life and of gracious 
rejoicings in the life to come. And bless with us, 
and with all that are dear to us, all for whom it is 
our duty and our privilege to pray. Bless the poor 
and the needy, the sick and the afflicted, the home- 
less and destitute. Be the God of the widow and 
the Father of the fatherless. Prosper all the means 
of grace throughout the world, and let all the earth 
be filled with Thy glory. 

And now, Father, when we lie down to rest this 
evening, may we realize in our souls that the eye of 
God is upon us, and that underneath us are the 
everlasting arms. Give us refreshing sleep in its 
season. Let no plague come nigh our dwelling. 
Awaken us in the morning, refreshed and invigo- 



Friday Morning. 



63 



rated, and prepared for all the duties of another 
day. And thus lead us day by day, and watch 
over us night after night ; and at last, when the night 
of death shall come, may we fall asleep in Jesus, 
and awake to the brightness of the resurrection of 
the just. And to Thy great name, Father, Son and 
Holy Ghost, shall be the praise and the glory, for- 
ever and ever. Amen. 



Friday Morning. 

Psalm CXIX, 73—96. 

Almighty and everlasting God, in whom we live 
and move and have our being, we, Thy needy crea- 
tures, render Thee our humble praises for Thy pres- 
ervation of us from the beginning of our lives to 
this day, and especially for having delivered us from 
the dangers of the past night. To Thy watchful 
providence we owe it, that no disturbance hath come 
nigh us or our dwelling, but that we are brought in 
safety to the beginning of this day. For these Thy 
mercies we bless and magnify Thy glorious name, 
humbly beseeching Thee to accept this our morning 
sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, for His sake 
who lay down in the grave and rose again for us, 
Thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. 

And since it is of Thy mercy, 0 gracious Father, 
that another day is added to our lives, we here 
dedicate both our souls and our bodies to Thee and 



64 



Second Week. 



Thy service, in a sober, righteous and godly life, in 
which resolution do Thou, 0 merciful God, confirm 
and strengthen us, that as we grow in age we may 
grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

We humbly beseech Thee to have compassion 
on our infirmities, and to give us the constant assist- 
ance of Thy Holy Spirit, that we may be effectually 
restrained from sin and excited to our duty. 
Imprint upon our hearts such a dread of Thy judg- 
ments, and such a grateful sense of Thy goodness to 
us, as may make us both afraid and ashamed to 
offend Thee. And, above all, keep in our minds a 
lively remembrance of that great day in which we 
must give a strict account of our thoughts, words 
and actions, and according to the works done in the 
body be eternally rewarded or punished by Him 
whom Thou hast appointed the Judge of quick and 
dead, Thy Son, J esus Christ our Lord. In particu- 
lar we implore Thy grace and protection for the 
ensuing day. Keep us temperate in our nieais and 
drinks, and diligent in our several callings. Grant 
us patience under any afflictions Thou shalt see fit 
to lav on us, and minds alwavs contented with our 

%J I V 

present condition. Give us grace to be just and 
upright in all our dealings, quiet and peaceable, full 
of compassion, and ready to do good to all men. 
Direct us in all our ways, and prosper the works of 
our hands in the business of our several stations. 
Defend us from all dangers and adversities, and be 
graciously pleased to take us and all things belong- 



Friday Evening/ 



65 



ing to us under Thy Fatherly care and protection. 
These things, and whatever else Thou shalt see 
necessary and convenient to us, we humbly beg 
through the merits and mediation of Thy Son, Jesus 
Christ our Lord and Saviour. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Friday Evening. 

I. Timothy II, 1—14. 

Most merciful God, who art of purer eyes than to 
behold iniquity, and hast promised forgiveness to all 
those who confess and forsake their sins, we come 
acknowledging our manifold transgressions of Thy 
righteous laws. Make us deeply sensible of the 
great evil of them, and work in us that we may 
obtain forgiveness at Thy hands, who art ever ready 
to receive humble and penitent sinners, for the sake 
of Thy Son Jesus Christ, our only Saviour. 

And lest, through our own frailty or temptations, 
we be drawn again into sin, vouchsafe us, we 
beseech Thee, the direction and assistance of Thy 
Holy Spirit. Reform whatsoever is amiss in the 
temper and disposition of our souls. Purge our 

5 



66 



Second Week. 



hearts from envy, hatred and malice, that we may 
never suffer the sun to go down upon our wrath, 
but may always go to our rest in peace, charity and 
good will, with a conscience void of offense towards 
Thee and towards men ; that so we may be preserved 
pure and blameless unto the coming of our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

Be gracious unto Thy Church, and grant that 
every member of the same, in his vocation and min- 
istry, may serve Thee faithfully. Bless all in author- 
ity over us, and so rule their hearts and strengthen 
their hands that they may punish wickedness and 
vice, and maintain Thy true religion and virtue. 
Send down Thy blessings, temporal and spiritual, 
upon all our relations, friends and neighbors. Re- 
ward all who have done us good, and pardon all 
those who have done or wish us evil, and give them 
repentance and better minds. Be merciful to all 
who are in trouble, administer to them according to 
their several necessities, for His sake, who went 
about doing good, Thy Son, our Saviour Jesus 
Christ. To our prayers we join our unfeigned thanks 
for all Thy mercies, for our health, friends, food and 
raiment, and particularly for the mercies and benefits 
of the past day, beseeching Thee to continue these 
Thy blessings to us. In particular we beseech Thee 
to continue Thy gracious protection to us this night. 
Defend us from all dangers and mischiefs, that we 
may enjoy such refreshing sleep as may fit us for 
the duties of the following day. Make us ever 
mindful of the time when we shall lie down in the 



Saturday Morning. 



67 



dust, and grant us grace always to live in such a 
state that we may never be afraid to die, so that, 
living and dying, we may be Thine, through the 
merits and satisfaction of Thy Son Christ Jesus, in 
whose name we offer up these our imperfect prayers. 
Amen. 



Saturday Morning. 

Psalm CXIX, 105—120. 

Almighty and ever blessed God, unto Thee would 
we look this morning, through Christ the Mediator, 
as unto the prayer-hearing and prayer-answering 
God. We thank Thee for Thy merciful protection 
during the past night, and for the refreshing sleep 
which we have enjoyed. We laid ourselves down 
and slept, and rose again because the Lord hath 
sustained us. We thank Thee for the light of an- 
other day, and for the measure of health with which 
we are permitted to behold it. But, above all, we 
bless Thee for the light of the Gospel, and for the 
gift of Him who is the light of the world. Grant us, 
we beseech Thee, thy Holy Spirit to enlighten our 
minds and to sanctify our hearts, that we may per- 
ceive Christ to be the chiefest among ten thousand, 
and the one altogether lovely ; that we may receive 
Him by faith, and glorify His holy name by a godly 
walk and conversation. 

We acknowledge and confess our manifold sins 



68 



Second Week. 



and transgressions. We have strayed from Thy 
ways, 0 God, like lost sheep. We have done those 
things which we ought not to have done, and we 
have left undone those things which we ought to 
have done. We have incurred Thy displeasure. 
We deserve Thy wrath. But 0 most gracious 
Father, have mercy upon us. Grant us true repent- 
ance for all our sins. Look Thou upon us in the 
face of Thine Anointed and forgive us all our tres- 
passes, and enable us by Thy grace to adorn the 
doctrine of God, our Saviour, in all things. 

Preserve us this day, 0 Lord, from all evil, and 
defend us from every danger to which we may be 
exposed. Give us a due sense of our dependence 
on Thee, and of our indebtedness to Thee for every 
good gift we enjoy. Enable us this day to resist 
temptation and overcome the evil desires of our own 
hearts. May we in Thy strength discharge the 
duties incumbent on us, and do Thy holy will in 
all things. May we as a family be devoted to Thy 
service, and as individuals may we be the objects 
of Thy providential care and the subjects of Thy 
saving grace. 0 Heavenly Father, remember in 
mercy our absent relatives and friends. May they 
be interested in the covenant of redemption, and be 
made partakers of everlasting life. May their lives 
and health be precious in Thy sight and consecrated 
to Thy service. 

Bless all for whom we should pray. Have mercy 
upon all men, and especially the sick and afflicted. 
Heal and comfort them. Relieve them according to 



Saturday Evening. 



69 



their necessities. Give them patience under their 
sufferings, humble resignation to Thy will, and a 
happy deliverance from all their pains and sorrows. 
Smile graciously upon Thy Church universal, and 
give grace to all who minister in holy things to be 
faithful in the same. Let Thy kingdom soon come. 
From the rising of the sun even to the going down 
of the same, may Thy name be great among us, 
through Thy Son our Saviour. 

Our Father, who art in heaven: Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread ; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Saturday Evening, 

II. Thessalonians III. 

0 Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all 
flesh come. We, Thine unworthy servants, would 
now come unto Thee. We would worship and bow 
down and kneel before the Lord our Maker. Have 
mercy on us, and graciously hearken to the voice 
of our supplication. We praise Thee, 0 God, for 
the blessings of another day and another week. 
Through Thy preserving care we are spared to the 
present moment. 

Grant us, we beseech Thee, an abiding sense of 



70 



Second Week. 



our sinfulness in Thy sight. May we rely for pardon 
and acceptance upon Jesus Christ, and not go about 
to establish a righteousness of our own. May we 
mourn with genuine contrition over our sins and 
follies, and not glory in our shame. May we die 
daily unto sin, and live no longer therein. 0 Heav- 
enly Father, give us grace to make our calling and 
election sure. May we not grow cold and lukewarm 
in Thy service, but may we be zealously affected in 
every good thing. May we not say peace to our 
souls when there is no peace, but may we work out 
our salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that 
it is Grod that worketh in us, both to will and to do 
of His good pleasure. May we be diligent in busi- 
ness, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, and always 
abounding in His work. 

Bless every lawful business in which we have 
been engaged during the week now drawing to a 
close. May we be thankful for all that we have 
enjoyed in days that are past, and humbly trust 
Thee for all that is needful in time to come. 

Continue Thy kind and undeserved protection of 
us through this night, 0 Thou who never slumberest 
nor sleepest. May we rest under the shadow of 
Thy wing, and if consistent with Thy wise and right- 
eous purposes, may we be permitted to behold another 
day, refreshed by sleep and fitted to discharge the 
duties and enjoy the privileges of the Sabbath. May 
it be a Sabbath to our souls. 

Be with all Thy servants who shall minister in Thy 
name on the coming day. May they receive fresh 



Saturday Evening. 



71 



unction from the Holy One, and be clothed with 
salvation as with a garment. May they preach the 
Gospel in its purity and simplicity, with all godly 
sincerity and faithfulness. May sinners be con- 
verted to the knowledge and love of God, and may 
Thy saints be edified, established and built up in 
their most holy faith. May we who enjoy the light 
of the Gospel faithfully receive it into our hearts, 
that it may not prove a savor of death unto death 
to our souls. 

Hear us, 0 blessed God, in these our prayers and 
thanksgivings, and finally save us all, through Christ 
our Redeemer. Amen. 



THIRD WEEK. 



♦ Sunday Morning. 

Psalm LXXXIV. 

Almighty and most merciful God, our Heavenly 
Father, who hast made us to know and serve Thee 
on earth, and to enjoy Thee in heaven, look down 
from Thy high and holy dwelling-place upon us who 
have our habitations in the dust, and so enlighten 
us by Thy Holy Spirit, and strengthen us by Thy 
heavenly grace, that all our prayers may be offered 
to Thy Divine Majesty in humility, penitence and 
faith. 

We adore Thee that Thou hast called us to a 
knowledge of Thyself, that Thou hast appointed Thy 
Sabbaths upon earth, and established Thy Church 
among men. And now we beseech Thee to prepare 
our hearts to worship Thee all this day in spirit and 
in truth. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the 
inspiration of Thy holy word. May the words of 
our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be 
acceptable in Thy sight, 0 Lord, our strength and 
our Redeemer. Send the spirit of truth into our 
minds this day, that we may understand the teach- 
ings of the Sacred Scriptures. Grant us the spirit 
of grace and of supplication. Help us to offer to 
Thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving on this Thy day 



Sunday Morning. 



73 



which Thou hast made, and to pay our vows unto 
the Lord in the sight of all Thy people. May we 
see the beauty of the Lord in Thy temple. Help 
us to banish all vain and worldly thoughts from our 
minds. May no remembrances of the business and 
pleasure of the past, may no care and anxiety for 
the future, interrupt our worship. Help us to receive 
with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to 
make us wise unto salvation. And we humbly sup- 
plicate God that He will bless our pastor this day 
with bodily and spiritual strength, and give him 
encouragement in the labors of the ministry, that so 
he may be a great blessing to us; and may we never 
be an affliction to him. May no member of our 
family do those things which weaken the hands of 
the pious and strengthen the hands of the wicked. 
In all our walk this day may we be thoughtful and 
prayerful, remembering the Sabbath to keep it holy, 
and waiting upon the Lord so that we may renew 
our spiritual strength. Upon all who this day labor 
and pray for the extension of Christ's kingdom send 
down the Holy Ghost, that they may be abundantly 
refreshed and strengthened; and let all the congre- 
gations of Thy people be made to rejoice in that 
King whom Thou hast set upon Thy holy hill of 
Zion. 

All these mercies, and whatever is best for us, we 
ask for the sake of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name ; Thy kingdom come ; Thy will be done in 



74 



Third Week. 



earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Sunday Evening. 

Ephesians VI. 

Most blessed God, we desire to draw near into 
Thy gracious presence on this the close of another 
Sabbath, thanking Thee for all the tokens of Thy 
love we have been permitted to enjoy. 

Do Thou come this night and take up Thine 
abode in each heart. Abide with us, for it is toward 
evening and the day is far spent. We desire anew 
to praise Thee for Thine unspeakable gift, J esus the 
Son of Thy love. There is not a ray of hope which 
visits our souls but emanates from His cross. We 
rejoice to think that He is as willing as He is able 
to save "to the uttermost;" that at this moment 
He is bending upon us a gracious eye from the 
Throne, pleading our cause. u Whosoever cometh 
unto Him He will in nowise cast out." 

Lord, we come, casting ourselves on the fullness of 
Thy grace. Make us Thine own ; sanctify us wholly, 
in body, soul and spirit. Let us not be slow to 
deny ourselves, and to take up our cross and follow 
Jesus. When Thou callest us to any duty or any 
trial, may we be ready with the response, "Here I 



Sunday Evening. 75 



am." May even trials and crosses become easy to 
us when borne in a spirit of submission to Thy will. 
0 that Thy love might be enthroned more than it is, 
as the ruling passion of our souls. May ^ye give no 
sleep to our eyes, nor slumber to our eyelids, till in 
our hearts we find a place for the Lord. 

Do Thou follow with Thine enriching blessing all 
the sacred services of Thy sanctuary. May Thy 
word be quick and powerful; forbid that impressions 
be suffered to die away ; do Thou fasten them as a 
nail in a sure place, and may the Sabbath's duties 
and employments diffuse their own solemnity and 
heavenliness around us throughout the week. 

We remember with affectionate sympathy the 
poor, the destitute, and " him that hath no helper," the 
sick, the bereaved, the dying. Lord, draw near to 
all such ; let them know that Thou hast grace for 
their every time of need, and that there is no want 
to them that fear Thee. We desire for our friends 
Thy benediction and blessing; the Lord watch be- 
tween them and us when we are absent one from 
another. 0 Thou omnipresent God, do Thou show 
that no distance can sever from Thee ; give them 
every token of Thy love ; preserve them from dan- 
ger; guard them from temptation; number them 
with Thy saints in glory everlasting. Bless the lambs 
of the flock, more especially those now before Thee; 
make them Thine, bringing them to the fold of 
grace on earth, and to Thy heaven of glory hereafter. 

Bless that branch of Thy Church with which we 
are connected; bless Thy holy Church universal; 



76 



Third Week. 



have mercy on those who are still sitting in dark- 
ness and in the region and shadow of death. Do 
Thon watch over us during the unconscious hours 
of sleep, i May we awake in the morning in Thy 
favor, that so every new day being spent to Thy glory, 
may find us better fitted for entering on the joys of 
Thine everlasting kingdom, through the merits of 
Jesus Christ, our only Saviour. Amen. 



Monday Morning. 

Psalm CX. 

Almighty God, dispose of our hearts by the gra- 
cious influence of Thy Holy Spirit, to worship Thee 
through our Mediator, Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Thou art God, and there is none beside Thee, the 
Creator of heaven and earth. We bow and worship 
at Thy footstool. Accept our thanksgivings for the 
mercies of another day. Thou gavest us our being, 
and Thou preservest us from day to day. Through 
the defenseless hours of the night Thou hast kept us 
in safety. But 0 Lord we bless Thee that we were 
not born in heathen lands, but in this favored coun- 
try, where the light of Thy truth clearly shines. We 
thank Thee for the comfort of the Holy Scriptures, 
for the labors of faithful ministers, and for all the 
means of grace. We are invited to come to Thee ; 
though we be guilty and sinful, we are freely offered 
pardon, peace and salvation. We desire now afresh 



Monday Morning. 



77 



to devote ourselves to Thy service. Grant that our 
spirit and soul and body may be preserved blame- 
less unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. But 
we would confess that we have been rebellious and 
disobedient. Thou art holy, but we are unholy. 
Thou art merciful, but we have often been selfish 
and unkind. Thou art pure, but we are impure. 
Thou art patient, but we are impatient. We have 
abused Thy gifts, and made them occasions of sin. 
Forgive us all our offenses. Remember not against 
us our transgressions. Lord, help us to love Thee; 
teach us to serve Thee. Give us Thy strength that 
we may overcome our corrupt nature. Grant that 
this clay Ave may have power from on high to resist 
every temptation, and to live in the spirit of prayer, 
faith, humility, self-denial and love, and to walk 
before Thee in that narrow way which leads to eter- 
nal life. Teach us to do good to all men, and to 
seek, according to our means, to visit and relieve 
the fatherless and the widows in their affliction, and 
do Thou keep us unspotted from the world. 

Hear us, Father, in behalf of our relations and 
friends, our neighborhood, our ministers, and all for 
whom we ought to pray. Help those that are weak. 
Comfort those that are cast down. Heal those that 
are sick. Relieve those that are in distress. Be 
merciful unto Thy Church. 0 bless us, and cause 
Thy face to shine upon us, that Thy way may be 
known upon earth, Thy saving health among all 
nations. Give wisdom and power to every effort 
of Christian love for spreading Thy Gospel. 



78 



Third Week. 



Gracious Lord, not for our worthiness, but for the 
only name's sake of Jesus Christ, hear these our 
prayers, which we sum up in His own words : 

Our Father, who art in heaven: Hallowed be Thy 
name ; Thy kingdom come ; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread ; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Monday Evening, 

Luke X, 1—24 

0 Thou who art light, and in whom is no dark- 
ness at all, we would praise and magnify Thy name 
for Thy sovereign goodness towards us, in sending 
the knowledge of Thy Son to these distant isles of 
the sea. ^Ye adore Thee for this, that poor and 
miserable and wretched as we are by nature, Thou 
hast in Christ Jesus made provision for restoring us 
to Thy favor, by blotting out our sins. And since 
Thou hast brought to our knowledge the plan of 
redemption, and permitted us to learn it by the 
hearing of the ear, 0 living God, complete Thy 
mercy by enabling us, through Thy grace and Spirit, 
to believe with the heart to the saving of the soul. 
May Jesus Christ be in us by His Spirit, the hope 
of glory. May we be taught to live by faith on the 
Son of God. May the kingdom of God be within 



Monday Evening. 



79 



us, that kingdom which consists in righteousness, 
and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Our heart's 
desire and prayer, 0 God, is that we may have in 
us the mind of Christ, and be before Thee, even as 
He is, through faith in His name as the Prince of 
Peace. And blessed God, hear our prayers while 
w^e beseech Thee to spread the savor of that name 
throughout the world. May Thy Church, through 
all its borders, soon become a missionary Church, 
even till, by the unction of the Holy Ghost, every 
knee shall bow and every tongue confess at the 
name of Jesus. May Thy ministering servants be 
full of the Holy Ghost. May they be taught to 
glory only in the Lord, and to know nothing but 
Christ and Him crucified. While we beseech Thee, 
0 Father, Lord of heaven and earth, to sanctify us 
in the use of all our privileges, we would also thank 
Thee for the happiness and the protection of another 
day. Forgive the sins we have committed in its 
course. Sprinkle us with the blood of cleansing, 
and speak peace unto us. Prepare us for death, 
judgment and eternity. Take us under Thy guard- 
ianship for this night. May no evil befall us ; may 
no plague come near our dwelling. Grant refresh- 
ing repose. Prepare us for all our duties. And in 
Christ Jesus be our everlasting portion, for Thy great 
name's sake. Amen. 



80 



Third Week. 



Tuesday Morning. 

Psalm LXXXII. 

0 Lord, Thou art a Spirit, and no man hath seen 
Thee at any time. Thou goest by, and we see Thee 
not. Thou passest on also, and we perceive Thee 
not ; yet art Thou nigh to every one of us, for in Thee 
we live and move and have our being. Thou hast pre- 
served us through the silent watches and brought us 
unto the light of a new day. We would this day 
acknowledge Thee our Creator, Preserver and Re- 
deemer. From everlasting to everlasting Thou art 
God, but all flesh is as grass. We all do fade as the 
leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have carried 
us away. Who can say, I have made my heart 
clean ; I am pure from my sins ! Every way of man 
is right in his own eyes, but the Lord pondereth the 
hearts. There is not a just man upon earth that 
doeth good and sinneth not. We bless Thee that 
Thou hast laid our help upon One that is mighty to 
save. As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all 
be made alive. 0 Lord, let Thy Holy Spirit take 
of the things that are of Christ, and show them to 
us, that we may know our need of a Saviour, and 
flee for refuge to the hope set before us in the Gos- 
pel. Create in us, 0 God, a clean heart, and renew 
a right spirit within us. Sanctify us through Thy 
truth, that, dying daily unto sin and living unto 
righteousness, we may grow daily in conformity to 
Thy will, and be prepared to meet our God. Follow 



Tuesday Evening. 



81 



with Thy blessing our reading of Thy word and our 
meditations at this time. Do Thou grant us in this 
and every season of grace refreshing from Thy pres- 
ence. Lord, dwell in this house and family. Never 
leave us, and never forsake us. In our several 
places, duties and relations, may we all have a single 
eye to Thy service, and do all things to Thy glory. 
Shed abroad Thy love in our hearts, that we may 
love the Lord our God with all our hearts and soul 
and mind and strength ; that as Thou hast loved us, 
we may love one another with pure hearts fervently ; 
that we may bear one another's burdens, and so ful- 
fill the law of Christ. Let the words of our mouths 
and the meditations of our hearts find acceptance 
with Thee, through Christ our strength and our 
Redeemer. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Tuesday Evening. 

Psalm LXVII. 

0 our kind and gracious Father, by whose good 
providence we have been brought in safety to the 
close of another day, we thank Thee for Thine 

6 



82 



Third Week, 



unwearied love and patience towards us, and for the 
many mercies Thy bountiful hand has bestowed 
upon us and upon those we love. We now com- 
mend ourselves once more to Thy Fatherly care and 
protection. Forgive us, for Thy dear Son's sake, 
the many sins of thought, desire, word and deed of 
which we have this day been guilty. Have mercy 
upon us, most merciful Father, and deliver us from 
the power as well as the penalty of our sins. Cleanse 
the very thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration 
of Thy Holy Spirit, and make us pure within. Deepen 
our repentance. Increase our faith. Help us to 
live nearer in heart to our Lord Jesus Christ, to love 
Him more sincerely and fervently, and to become 
more and more like Him in our temper and spirit. 
Help us to bear more meekly whatever trials Thy 
wisdom and love may choose to put upon us. Help 
us to do more diligently and lovingly the duties 
Thou requirest of us, that so in the last great day 
Thou mayest acknowledge us as Thine. Number 
us amongst Thy saints in glory. 0 that all whom 
we love, too, may be gathered with us in that day. 
Give them now, each one, a new and contrite heart, 
and may their lives be consecrated to Thy service. 
Pour out Thy Spirit upon the world that lieth in 
wickedness around us. 0 blessed Redeemer, save 
the souls for whom Thou hast shed Thy precious 
blood, and hasten on the coming of Thy glorious 
kingdom. Take us now under the shadow of Thv 
protecting wing ; and when the night of death shall 
come, 0 may we rest in Thee. 



Wednesday Morning. 



83 



Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love 
of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be 
with us all evermore. Amen. 



Wednesday Morning. 

Psalm C. 

Almighty and most gracious Father, Thou hast 
made another day to dawn upon us, and given us 
the comfortable prospect of the continuance of life 
and all the varied blessings by which it is sweetened. 
While we express in words our lively gratitude for 
that and every gift of Thy bountiful providence, we 
pray that Thou wouldst enable us to evince that 
gratitude by the cheerful obedience of our hearts 
and lives; and while Thou art addressing us by 
every motive that can influence the human mind, 
may we yield Thee that love and service which, by 
the law both of nature and grace, we are bound to 
give. Thou hast formed us with a capacity of loving 
and serving Thee ; but alas ! we have not loved and 



84 



Third Week. 



served Thee as purely as we ought to have done. 
We have often given our hearts and affections to 
other objects than to Thee, and have thus violated 
the first precept of Thy law, which requires us to 
have no other gods before Thee. Pardon our sins; 
enable us to love Thee with pure hearts, for the 
divine excellencies of Thy character, and for the 
tokens of Thy kindness, Especially for Thy kindness 
towards us in Christ Jesus, and from a firm and 
enlightened persuasion that Thy service is the only 
reasonable and free and happy service ; to resolve 
that whatever others may do, as for us, we shall 
serve the Lord. Confirm and establish us in this 
resolution; and as we know from painful experience 
that we are too apt to fall into sin, in spite of what 
we know to be our interest and duty, we pray that 
Thou wouldst strengthen us with all might by Thy 
Spirit in the inward man, and animate us by that 
faith which overcometh the world, the flesh and the 
devil, and which will keep us steadfast and immova- 
ble, always abounding in the work of the Lord. 
Prepare us for all that is before us in the course of 
this day. Amid all the scenes and duties to which 
we may be called, may we carry about with us a 
sense of Thy presence and of the relations in which 
we stand to Thee, and be enabled to live to Thy 
glory. In any trials which may be appointed to us, 
help us to manifest the spirit and temper of the dis- 
ciples of Christ, to have our affections crucified unto 
the world, and to pass through all its progressive 
stages as strangers and pilgrims who are seeking a 



Wednesday Evening. 



85 



better country. Bless all whom we are bound, by 
natural or Christian affection, to remember at Thy 
throne of grace. Be a sun and shield unto them; 
give them grace and glory, and withhold no good 
thing from them which Thou knowest they need. 
Be gracious to every member of this family. Let 
Thy presence go with us wherever we go, and Thy 
blessing rest on us wherever w^e dwell. All which 
we ask and hope to receive through Christ. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 



Wednesday Evening. 

John II. 

Most blessed God, Thou hast again, in the multi- 
tude of Thy mercies, permitted us to meet together 
around Thy holy footstool. Draw near to us in Thy 
great kindness, enable us to end another day with 
Thee, and to retire to rest this night in the conscious 
possession of Thy friendship and love. 

What are we that we should be permitted to speak 
unto such a glorious and infinite God! We are 
dust and ashes, creatures of a day, who might long 



86 



Third Week. 



ere now have been spurned from Thy presence. 
Blessed be Thy great and holy name for all the 
manifold proofs of Thy love. Thy ways are not as 
our ways ; had they been so, we must all of us have 
perished without hope. Give to each of us this 
night to know the blessedness of being at peace 
with Thee. Give us a deep and abiding sense of 
our vileness and unworthiness. May we seek to 
imbibe more of the spirit and copy more of the 
example of our Divine Redeemer. May we feel it 
to be our joy to serve Him, our privilege to follow 
Him, our sorrow to vex and grieve Him. Take us 
and use us for Thy glory ; sanctify our affections ; 
elevate our desires ; may we have more of the char- 
acter of holiness and breathe more of the atmosphere 
of heaven. Keep us from being over-careful and 
over-troubled about earth's many things ; enable us 
to be more solicitous about the one thing needful ; 
may we be covetous only of the solid and durable 
riches of eternity. 

Bless our beloved relatives ; may they all be ena- 
bled to claim a common kindred with the one Elder 
Brother on the Throne. Set Thine own mark on 
each one of us. Though we may be separated from 
each other now, may Thy blessed angels gather us 
together at last in the same bundle for the Heavenly 
Garner. 

Let none put off preparation for death till a dying 
hour; the present hour is all that we can call our own. 
May we be living in that state of holy preparedness 
for death, that when the silver cord by which life is 



Thursday Morning. 



87 



suspended is broken, we may awake up in Thy like- 
ness in glory everlasting. 

Look down on Thy Church everywhere through- 
out the world; purify her more and more; may no 
weapon formed against her prosper; may her minis- 
ters be men of God, and may her saints and people 
shout aloud for joy. Do Thou satisfy Zion's poor 
with bread. May every afflicted one receive out 
of the wells of Thine own consolation, and be led 
meekly to say, "The Lord's will be done." 

Graciously take the charge of us during this 
night. We commend us all to Thy Fatherly protec- 
tion and care ; whether we wake or sleep, may we 
live together with Thee. And all these blessings 
we ask in the name of Christ our Saviour. Amen. 



Thursday Morning. 

Psalm CVII. 

Almighty God, Thou art of purer eyes than to 
behold iniquity. Evil cannot dwell with Thee. It 
is only because of Thy great mercies in Christ that 
we are not consumed. We bless Thee for all that 
Jesus hath done, for all that He is willing to do. 
Having purged our sins, He has forever sat down 
on the right hand of God, and there he must reign 
until He hath put all enemies under His feet. May 
the fountains of the great deep of sin be broken up. 
Spare us, good Lord, spare Thy people, whom Thou 



88 



Third Week. 



hast redeemed with Thy most precious blood, and 
be not angry with us forever. 

We would cast all our cares on Thee, knowing 
and rejoicing that Thou "carest for us." Seeing 
Thou hast loved us with such an everlasting love, 
may we love Thee better in return. May the best 
of our thoughts, and the best of our lives, and the 
best of our time, be surrendered freely to Thee. 
Let us trust Thee in everything; let us see Thy 
faithfulness in every event in our chequered and 
changing histories. How Thou hast smoothed our 
way in the past! Every thorn has been blunted; 
every cross has been lightened; our fears have been 
disappointed, our fondest hopes fulfilled. We will 
trust Thee in the future. If sorrow should darken 
our path, keep us from that guilty atheism which 
refuses to see in our trials any other hand but 
Thine. Let us feel that the great Shepherd who 
gave His life for the sheep cannot lead us wrong. 

Bless our dear friends; may the Lord be their 
keeper; may the sun not smite them by day, nor 
the moon by night. Do Thou preserve them from 
all evil, in their going out and in their coming in. 

Be merciful to the family of affliction ; those laid 
on beds of pining sickness ; those bereaved of beloved 
relatives. May it please Thee to help, succor and 
relieve them; may they know Thine own blessed 
name; may they take comfort in the assurance, 
"The Lord will provide." 

Be Thou with us throughout this day; sanctify 
all its duties ; go with us where we go, dwell with 



Thursday Evening. 



89 



us where we dwell; may we pitch our tent ever 
near Thyself, and then we shall be safe. Hear us, 
gracious God, and accept of us for the Redeemer's 
sake. 

Our Father, who art in heaven: Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread ; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Thursday Evening. 

Romans XV, 1—18. 

Most merciful God, Thou hast in Thy great good- 
ness brought us again around the footstool of Thy 
throne of grace. During the past day many have 
gone into eternity. We are spared. Thou hast been 
shielding us from manifold dangers, with unweary- 
ing watchfulness. None is so able, none is so will- 
ing as Thou art to befriend us in every danger, and 
guide us in every perplexity. We can experience 
no real blank and mourn no real loss, if we have 
Thee. We desire this night to retire to rest in the 
assured confidence that we have Thy favor resting 
upon us ; forgive all the sins of the past day, its sins of 
omission and commission, of thought and word and 
deed; whatever has been inconsistent with Thy pure 

and holy will. Let every day leave behind it the 
« 



90 



Third Week. 



holy impression of some holy deeds. Make us more 
zealous for Thy honor and glory. As we are daily 
approaching nearer death, may we be better pre- 
pared for it. 

Bless all who are in sickness and sorrow this 
night. Bind up their wounds. May their trembling 
spirits repose on Jesus, and they shall be more than 
conquerors. 

We pray for a whole world. Pity the nations 
that are sunk in heathen darkness. When the 
enemy is coming in like a flood, may the Spirit of 
God lift up a standard to resist him. Bless all Thy 
faithful missionaries. In lands where Christian sanc- 
tuaries are not, be Thou a little sanctuary to all Thy 
true servants ; may they feel that the pleasure of 
the Lord is prospering in their hands ; may they be 
the honored instruments in preparing many souls 
for Immanuel's crown. Direct their hearts into Thy 
love, and into the patient waiting for Christ. 

Bless our household. May it be one of the taber- 
nacles of the righteous, where the voice of joy and 
praise is often heard. Bless parents and children. 
May the joy of the Lord be our strength. May we 
feel that in keeping Thy commandments there is a 
great reward. 

As the pillar of cloud goes before us by day, may 
the unseen pillar of fire be with us by night. May 
angels gather around us during the unconscious 
hours of sleep; may no danger befall us and no 
plague come nigh our dwelling. If pleased to spare 
us to see the light of another day, may we rise fitted 



Friday Morning. 



91 



and prepared for all the duties to which we may be 
called. And now unto Him wiio is alone able to 
keep us from falling, and to present us faultless 
before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 
be ascribed all blessing and honor, dominion and 
praise, world without end. Amen. 



Friday Morning. 

Psalm XXXVII. 

Almighty God, we come to bow down and wor- 
ship in Thy presence. Thou hast taught us to call 
Thee, " Our Father, which art in heaven." In that 
name we recognize Thy love to us. It teaches us 
also that Thou art very great, and highly exalted 
above all our thoughts. We worship Thee this day 
as the Author of our being, our kind Preserver, our 
merciful Redeemer, the blessed and only Potentate, 
the King of kings, and Lord of lords. Gracious 
Father, Thy mercies to us have been great and mani- 
fold, but our sins have been grievous. We have 
been inconstant in gOodness ; we have neglected our 
duties; our aspirations after a higher life have been 
feeble. We have loved the world too much. Too 
often we have yielded to sore temptation and trans- 
gressed the laws of our God. Pardon us, 0 God ; 
for Thy great name's sake, and aid us by Thy con- 
tinual grace to walk hereafter in newness of life. 
We pray Thee to accept of us this morning. Give 



92 



Third Week. 



us some token of Thy favor. May our hearts feel 
Thy presence with us. May we know that our 
names are written in the Lamb's book of life. We 
would renew our vows to Thee ; we would dedicate 
ourselves again to Thy service. 0 Lord, give us 
willingness of mind; give us cleanliness of heart; 
give us strength of soul, that we henceforth may do 
Thy will and glorify Thy name. Thou hast taught 
us to lift up holy hands for all men everywhere; 
they are all our brethren; some of them are in 
trouble. 0 Lord, be Thou their refuge and their 
present help. May they find comfort in Thee, and 
may they rest in Thy love. Some of them are in 
heaviness through manifold temptations. Lord, 
succor them very speedily, and give them strength 
to have victory, and to triumph against the devil, 
the world and the flesh. Some of them are sick and 
some are dying. May it please Thee, 0 Lord, to 
heal the sick and prepare the dying for the solemn 
change. Send out Thy light and Thy truth into all 
the earth. Widen the borders of Zion ; enlarge the 
heritage of Thy Son. May Thy truth be everywhere 
triumphant, and may Thy kingdom everywhere pre- 
vail. Especially we pray Thee to bless Thy servants 
who preach Thy word ; endue them with power from 
on high ; clothe them with salvation ; lay the burden 
of souls upon their hearts, and help them to preach 
Thy truth in the demonstration of the Holy Ghost. 
Vouchsafe Thy blessing to us as a family. Shelter 
us beneath Thy wing of love. Feed us with food 
convenient for us. Defend us from all enemies and 



Friday Evening. 



i 

93 



preserve us from all disasters. Help us to love one 
another; may we bear each other's burdens, and so 
fulfill the law of Christ. May our lives be useful; 
may we die in peace, and when our earthly course 
is run, may we find our endless home at Thy right 
hand in heaven. 

Our Father, who art in heaven: Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Friday Evening, 

James III. 

Gracious Father, we approach the footstool of 
Thy throne this night, adoring Thee as the God of 
our life and the length of our days. We bless Thee 
for the many tokens of Thy love daily bestowed 
upon us, for food and raiment, for health and strength, 
for friends and home, for all that brightens our 
pathway in life, for all that cheers our prospects 
beyond the grave. Lord, how r often hast Thou dis- 
appointed our fears, answered our prayers and ful- 
filled our hopes! How often has Thy grace and 
mercy made arduous duties easy, and leveled moun- 
tains of difficulty ! How often, when sin caused our 
hearts to be overwhelmed, hast Thou led us to the 



94 



Third Week. 



Rock that is higher than we! How often in seasons 
of sorrow hast Thou conducted us to that same 
blessed shelter, and spoken comfortably to us! 

We come anew to Thee this night, weary and 
heavy-laden, beseeching Thee to give us rest. We 
lament that we do not feel as we ought to do the 
burden of sin. Bring us in poverty of soul to cry 
out, " God be merciful to us, sinners." Show us the 
infinite adaptation of the Redeemer in His person and 
work to meet all the necessities of our tried and 
tempted natures; may His name be as ointment 
poured forth; may His blood be our only plea, His 
love our animating principle, His glory our chiefest 
end. May our souls become holy altars from which 
the incense of obedience and love is ascending con- 
tinually. May we become patterns of all that is 
pure and unselfish, and virtuous and good. May 
we be enabled to do Thy will and love Thy will 
because it is Thine ; may we be enabled not only to 
pull out the beam, but to pluck out the mote that 
would dim our spiritual vision; may our eye be 
single, that our whole body may be full of light. 

Keep Thy churches faithful; may they earnestly 
contend for the faith. Sanctify affliction for all 
Thine afflicted people; thy chastisements are mer- 
cies in disguise ; all are tempered with love. Thou 
watchest every sheep in the fold, and when they are 
led out to the rougher parts of the wilderness, Thou 
"goest before them." 

We pray for those who are living without God, 
and therefore without hope. Let them not put off* 



Saturday Morning. 



95 



until they come to mourn with unavailing tears over 
wasted hours and forfeited opportunities. Convince 
every procrastinator how sad it is to be standing on 
the brink of eternity with that eternity unprovided 
for. Bless us, 0 God, who are now bending at Thy 
mercy-seat; warm our love; quicken our graces; 
let us live more constantly under the powers of a 
world to come. Ere we lay our heads on our 
nightly pillows, we would lay our sins afresh on the 
head of the Surety, that we may retire to rest at 
peace with God, ready, if need be, to wake up in 
glory. And all that we ask is for the Redeemer's 
sake. Amen. 

— 

Saturday Morning. 

Psalms XIV— XV. 

We desire to offer Thee, 0 Lord, the Creator of 
light, our morning sacrifice of gratitude that the 
light of heaven shines upon us again. We would 
join our voice wdth the whole family of heaven and 
earth in blessing and praising Thee. The sun has 
dispelled the darkness, and is diffusing heat and light 
on the world. Shine also into our hearts, 0 Father 
of light, by Thy Spirit, and give us to see the glory 
of God in the face of Jesus Christ; and may we be 
changed into the same image, even as by the Spirit 
of the Lord. Thus may we come to resemble Thy 



96 



Third Week. 



likeness, and be conformed to Thee in righteousness 
and true holiness. Teach us by Thy Spirit to know 
Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom 
Thou hast sent. May we confide in Thy providence, 
believing that our most minute concerns are known 
to Thee, and may be reconciled to whatever Thy 
wisdom appoints. Shed abroad the love of God in 
our hearts, that we may love all Thy moral perfec- 
tions, and delight to walk in the ways of purity, 
goodness and truth. We commit ourselves to Thy 
guidance this day. We are in Thy hands, 0 Heav- 
enly Father. Do with us as seemeth good in Thy 
sight, and overrule for good all the dispensations of 
life. Help us to discharge our duties aright; guide 
us by Thy counsel ; sustain us by Thy grace ; ani- 
mate us with the glorious hopes of immortality; 
cheer us with Thy promises ; help us to fix our eyes 
on our Redeemer, who, for the joy that was set 
before Him, endured the cross, and is set down at 
the right hand of God. May we walk in the steps 
of His patience, and persevere and endure to the 
end, and at length come to live with Him in His 
glorious kingdom. These and all other blessings we 
ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus 
Christ, our Mediator. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 



Saturday Evening. 



97 



is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Saturday Evening. 

Romans XII. 

0 Lord, we desire to approach Thy throne of 
grace. May we this night enter the inner chamber 
of Thy presence. Draw near to us as we draw near 
to Thee. We bless Thee that Thou hast spared us 
during another day and another week. Let us end 
every day and every week as if these were possibly 
our last, as if the midnight cry might break upon 
our ears ere we see another rising sun or a returning 
Sabbath. 

We come acknowledging that it is of Thy mercies 
we are not consumed. We confess our proneness 
to depart from Thee the living God, our reluctance 
to render to Thee the tribute of our undivided 
homage and love. 

Lord, we bring our sins and lay them on Jesus. 
We bring our weakness to His Almighty strength, 
the insufficiency of the creature to the " all-sufficiency 
in all things" promised by the Great Creator. Give 
us to experience the blessedness of an unreserved, 
unwavering trust and confidence in an unchanging 
God. Let us commit the unknown morrow to Thy 
better wisdom, saying, "Teach us the way wherein 
we should walk; we lift our souls unto Thee." 
Enable us to repose in quiet assurance in the infinite 
and unmeasured fullness of Thy grace and mercy, 



98 



Third Week. 



following Thee not in plain and smooth places only, 
but in rough and rugged, too, feeling that, even 
though at times mysterious, "the ways of the Lord 
are right, and all His works are done in truth." 

While we pray for ourselves we would remember 
before Thee all whom we ought to bear on our 
spirits at a throne o£ grace. Prosper Thy cause and 
kingdom in the world. Bring the wickedness of the 
wicked to an end. Bless the young; may they 
spring up as willows by the water-courses, trees of 
righteousness, the planting of the Lord. Bless the 
aged; may they be gathered to the garner of the 
Great Husbandman, as the shock of corn in its sea- 
son, full of years and ripe for glory. 

Bless all Thy faithful ministers, especially those 
who to-morrow are to deal out the bread of life ; 
strengthen them outwardly and inwardly ; may their 

O J Jim 

arms be made strong by the hands of the mighty 

CD */ CD %! 

God of Jacob; on the great reaping day of judg- 
ment may they, too, appear with rejoicing, bringing 
their sheaves with them. Bless us as a family, par- 
ent and child. Let us all own one Father in heaven. 
Whether we wake or sleep, may we live together 
with Thee. There is no darkness to us if Thou art 
with us. Defend us during the unconscious hours 
of slumber, that we may rise on Thy holy Sabbath 
fitted for duty, happy in the assured continuance of 
Thy favor and love. And all we ask is for Jesus' 
sake. Amen. 



FOURTH WEEK. 



Sunday Morning. 

Psalms LXVI— LXVII. 

Most gracious God, who hast, in Thy good provi- 
dence, again permitted us to see the light of Thy 
holy Sabbath, do Thou draw near to us in Thy great 
mercy* Thou hast dispersed the darkness of another 
natural night; may the Sun of Righteousness arise 
upon us with healing in His beams. May our fellow- 
ship this day be with the Father and with His Son, 
Jesus Christ. May the world be excluded, that we 
may be alone with God. We bless Thee for the 
great truth which this day commemorates, that Jesus 
has burst the bands of the grave and triumphed 
over principalities and powers. The Lord is risen! 
He hath satisfied all the demands of God's holy law, 
He hath fully vanquished all our foes, Satan's power 
is overthrown, and the kingdom of heaven is opened 
to all believers. May we be enabled this day to 
rise by faith with our risen Lord, and walk with Him 
in newness of life. 

We take refuge anew at the foot of the cross. 
Guilty, weak, worthless, perishing, we come. Wash 
us, 0 blessed Saviour, in the fountain of Thy blood. 
May Thy grace bring us and keep us nearer Thee. 
Let us cleave unto Him with full purpose of heart. 



100 



Fourth Week. 



Let there be no halting between two opinions. Let 
us ever bear about with us the recollection that time 
is short. Let us live as if this Sabbath were to be 
our last. May a sacred spirit pervade all its services. 
Let the gleanings of the Sabbath form the food of 
our souls during the week. May something that we 
shall hear this day come home with power to our 
hearts, and form a hallowed preservative against the 
world's snares and dangers and temptations. 

We pray for those who dishonor Thy Sabbaths and 
profane Thy holy name. Ere the door of mercy is 
forever shut, do Thou turn them from their wicked- 
ness, point them to Jesus, and show them that 
u neither is there salvation in anv other." Unfold 
to them the fearfulness of meeting Thee unprepared. 
Let them know the preciousness of that precious 
assurance, "He is able to save unto the utter- 
most." 

0 God, draw near to the afflicted. Do Thou 
bless all related to us. May they be safe under Thy 
tender guidance, and repose in Thy love. Bless our 
children; pour Thy rich grace into their hearts. Let 
them not fall a prey to the allurements and entice- 
ments of a present evil world, but may they walk as 
seeing Thee, who art invisible. 

Let Thy mercy, 0 God, be upon us, according as 
we hope in Thee ; and when our Sabbaths on earth 
are ended may ours, at last, be an unending Sabbath 
in Thy presence and favor. And all that we ask is 
in the name and for the sake of Him whom Thou 
hearest always, and to whom, with Thee, the Father, 



Sunday Evening. 



101 



and Thee, 0 Eternal Spirit, be ascribed all blessing, 
world without end. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Sunday Evening, 

Hebrews IV. 

0 Lord, our Heavenly Father, we would lift up 
our eyes to Thee, as to the hills from whence cometh 
our help, for all our help cometh alone from Thee, 
and Thou art the Giver of every good and perfect 
gift. Let the spirit of grace and supplication per- 
vade our hearts while we make mention of the name 
of the Lord, that our petitions may come up with 
acceptance before Thee. 

We bless Thee, 0 Father, not only for the Sabbath 
which we have this day enjoyed, but also for the 
privilege of Thy worship, and for all the benefits 
connected with this day, well calculated, as they are, 
to lead our minds to the contemplation of heaven as 
the serene and undisturbed resting-place of all such 
as shall come up at last, purified, from the tribula- 
tions of this world. 

"We thank Thee for Thy precious word, wherein 



102 



Fourth Week. 



Thou dost show us the path of life and admonish 
us of all destructive ways. We thank Thee, we bless 
Thee, we praise Thy name for the Gospel plan, and 
for the gift of Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Saviour, 
through whose merits alone we dare appear in Thy 
sight. 

0 Lord, our God, who only hast power on earth 
to forgive sins, and who dost invite the chief of sin- 
ners to partake of Thy mercy, we make now our 
confession to Thee of the many instances in which 
we have transgressed Thy law, both by doing that 
which was forbidden us to do, and by leaving 
undone that which was required of us to perform. 
Absolve us, 0 Lord, from all these our sins, and let 
our hearts be sprinkled anew with the precious 
atoning blood which can cleanse us from all unright- 
eousness. Give to each one of us a new heart and 
a new spirit, that by the harmlessness and consistency 
of our lives many others may be won to Thy cause 
and service. 

0 most holy and merciful Father, we would bring 
our many petitions before Thee, remembering the 
injunction of Thy word, that we make intercessions 
for all men with supplications, prayers and thanks- 
giving. We invoke Thy blessing upon the poor and 
needy, and upon all who are in anywise afflicted; 
with the widows and orphans everywhere. Deal 
mercifully with such as are penitent, and with all 
who seek Thy face sorrowing. Let Thy powerful 
hand be with Thv followers, to remove every ob- 
struction to the advancement of Thv cause, that the 



Sunday Evening. 



103 



word of the Lord may have free course and be 
glorified. Let Thy kingdom come, Thy kingdom 
which is righteousness and peace and joy in the 
Holy Ghost, and Thy will be done in earth as it is 
done in heaven. 

Remember Thy servants who have gone to carry 
the message of salvation to distant heathen lands, 
and to preach Christ at the peril of their own lives. 
Thou alone, 0 most holy Lord God, knowest what 
they suffer and dare to preach the unsearchable 
riches of Christ to the perishing heathen, and we 
pray that Thou wouldst encourage and sustain them 
in their arduous work, and make them instruments 
| in winning victories for the King of kings. 

Remember also such as are laboring in our own 
land to make known the mysteries of Thy Gospel 
and to lead souls to Christ. Give them success 
everywhere, and let the day come when the wicked- 
ness of the wicked shall be known no more among us. 

Strengthen, 0 Lord, the cords which bind Thy 
people of every name together, and increase in them 
that ardent brotherly love which shall promote Thy 
glory upon earth and Thy praise in heaven. Help 
us, as members of this family, to truly understand 
the relations we sustain to one another, to our fel- 
low-men and to Thee, and so help us by the might 
of Thy Spirit that we may discharge every duty 
devolving upon us, glorifying Thee both in our 
bodies and spirits, which are Thine. 

May none of us be strangers to that blood which 
bought our pardon on the tree, or by any form of 



104 



Fourth Week. 



disobedience forfeit our claim to the rest awaiting 
Thy saints in heaven. May the fearful example of 
those who, in the olden time, failed to enter in 
because of unbelief, serve to quicken us in the way 
of duty, that we may strive to enter in at the strait 
gate. May the solemn exercises with which we close 
this day remind us of that inevitable hour when we 
must put off this tabernacle of clay and be shut out 
from the sight of all the living. Prepare us, dearest 
Lord, to close our lives in peace and enter into Thy 
eternal kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 



Monday Morning. 

Psalm XIX. 

0 Lord, our Heavenly Father, who hast brought 
us to the beginning of this another day, defend us 
therein by Thy mighty power. Grant that we may 
not fall into any danger nor indulge ourselves in any 
sins, but may we be governed by Thy holy word and 
guided by Thy Holy Spirit, and cleansed by Thy 
holy blood, so as to be acceptable in Thy sight. 
Grant us grace, merciful Father, to bear in our mem- 
ory and to carry out in our lives this week all that 
we learned of Thy righteous will on Thy holy day. 
Wherever we go, may we remember that Thou seest 
us. With whatever fierce temptations Satan may 
beset us, may we fly to Thee for succor and deliv- 



Monday Morning 



105 



erance ; and if he shall come to us as an angel of 
light, grant us Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not be 
ignorant of his devices. May we this week avoid 
all evil; may we do all the good we can to the 
bodies and souls of men; may we discharge every 
duty which Thou hast enjoined upon us, and in all 
things live as seeing Him who is invisible. 0 restrain 
us from the evils and follies into which we are prone 
to fall, and quicken us to the offices and duties 
which we are loth to perform. 

Teach us, 0 Lord, to use this world as not abusing 
it, and so to enjoy the things that are in it that they 
may not engross our affections. Whatever we have 
of the world, 0 let it be sanctified to us by the word 
of God and prayer ; and whatever we may want of 
the things of this life, leave us not destitute of the 
things which accompany salvation, but do Thou 
adorn our souls with all the graces of Thy Holy 
Spirit, that we may glorify Thee in all things, and 
that our conversation may be such as becometh the 
Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And 
if it shall be Thy righteous will to remove us from 
earth this week, may we be found of our Lord, 
watching and faithful, and ready to give up our 
spirits with joy into the hands of our Redeemer. 

And while we pray for ourselves, we humbly sup- 
plicate Thy blessings in behalf of all who praise and 
serve Thee. Strengthen them in Thy service, and 
let all the families and nations of the earth avoid all 
causes of strife, and live together in the peace of 
God and in the love of Jesus. 



106 



Fourth Week. 



And now, Lord, condescend to us and hear us, 
and consider our meditation. Hear our voice early 
in the morning, and turn not away from our suppli- 
cations. Tarry not, 0 Lord, but help us, as Thou 
hast in past times, and we will rejoice under the 
shadow of Thy wings. Our souls hang upon Thee. 
Thou upholdest us. 0 guide us by Thy counsel, and 
afterward receive us unto glory, through the merits 
of Thy Son, our adorable Saviour, J esus Christ. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread ; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Monday Evening. 

Acts X. 

0 God, Father of all mercies, King of kings, Lord 
of lords, how shall we presume to lift up our eyes to 
the place where Thou in glory dwellest! There is 
but one thing that preserves us from everlasting 
destruction, and that is Thy sovereign love in J esus. 
We flee to Him as our only Saviour. We have no 
other. We require no other. He is our alone con- 
fidence. Spare us, good Lord, spare us, as a man 
spareth his own son that serveth him. Spare us for 
the sake of Thine own dear Son who hath served 



Monday Evening. 



107 



Thee on our behalf, doing all and suffering all and 
procuring all for us. It is a glorious ground of 
confidence for a sinner to trust in. It has been tried 
by countless multitudes, and the blood that has 
cleansed their guilty stains has a voice of love and 
forgiveness for us. 

Thou faintest not, neither art weary. We cannot 
be in better hands than in Thine. Whether it be to 
do or to bear Thy will, may it be ours meekly to 
say, "Even so, Father." Whatever may most con- 
duce to Thy glory and our good, do Thou appoint 
for us. Be Thou ever near us, not as a wayfaring 
man that turneth aside to tarry for a night, but glad- 
dening us with the continued sense of Thy presence 
and love. May we ever remember how transient 
and fleeting existence is ; let us feel that the thread 
of life may snap at any moment. We cannot tell 
what a day or an hour may bring forth. May we 
work while it is called to-day, remembering that 
there is no device, nor work, nor labor in the grave 
whither we are going. 

Bless all our dear friends ; let them be related to 
Thee ; preserve their bodies from danger and their 
souls from sin. May our household be a household 
of faith ; may parents and children be the members 
of a more glorious household ; may we claim kindred 
with the saints and the household of God. 

Bless all in sorrow ; let this be their comfort in 
affliction, "If we suffer with Him we shall be also 
glorified together." Let them look forward to that 
hour when "their sorrow shall be turned into joy/' 



108 



Fourth Week. 



when God himself shall be with them and be their 
God, and when all tears shall be wiped from all 
faces. Prepare ns all for heaven; let us be living 
ever with glory in sight, that ours at last may be 
an abundant entrance. Keep us waiting, keep us 
watching. Ere we lie down to sleep this night, give 
us the blessed sense of sin forgiven, and if spared 
until to-morrow, let us rise refreshed for duty and 
fitted for service or for trial. And all that we ask 
is for the sake of Him whom Thou hearest always, 
and to whom, with Thee, the Father, and Thee, 0 
blessed Spirit, be everlasting praise. Amen. 



Tuesday Morning. 

Luke XVIII, 1—14. 

Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, through 
whose goodness we are permitted to see the light 
of another day, grant us grace, we beseech Thee, to 
devote to Thy service the lives which Thou hast 
prolonged. We pray Thee to assist us in all the 
duties to which we may be called this day. Direct 
us to such occupations as are best suited to our 
circumstances and condition in life ; and as we be- 
lieve that Thou dost by Thy providence appoint us 
our work in this present world, we beseech Thee to 
enable us to be diligent and faithful in its perform- 
ance. Pardon our sins. Grant us the continual 
assistance of Thy Holy Spirit. Make us cheerful 



Tuesday Morning. 



109 



and contented with our lot. Deliver us from all 
overwhelming pressure of anxiety and care, and 
amid all our earthly employments keep us ever 
mindful of a better world. 

We would remember that our life is as a shadow 
which soon passeth away, and that the trials which 
attend our mortal state will ere long come to an 
end. May we, therefore, study moderation in all 
our temporal enjoyments, and find comfort in Thy 
promises in all our troubles. Increase our faith in 
Him who came into the world to save sinners. 
Enable us to lay hold of the offers of the Gospel, 
and to derive our chief pleasure from the assurance 
of Thy favor here and the hope of everlasting life 
hereafter. Be pleased to make all things work 
together for our good, u not weighing our merits, 
but pardoning our offenses ; " and thus, guided by 
Thy providence and sanctified by Thy Spirit, may 
we, at the last, attain the end of our faith, even the 
salvation of our souls. 

We pray also for our relations and friends. Par- 
don, 0 Lord, their trespasses and sins. May they 
all be partakers of the promises of the Gospel ; lead 
them in safety through the temptations and trials of 
life, and make them happy in themselves and bless- 
ings to all around them. 

Have pity upon all who are distressed, whether 
"in mind, body or estate," "giving them patience 
under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all 
afflictions." Send down Thine especial blessing 
upon the young; may all parents understand their 



110 



Fourth Week. 



responsibilities; may it be their great aim to seek 
Thy favor for their children, and not the riches and 
honors of this perishing world, that thus there may 
never be wanting in this land a seed to serve Thee 
or a generation to praise Thy name. 

We present before Thee, 0 merciful Father, these 
our imperfect prayers, in the name of Jesus Christ, 
our only Mediator and Advocate. 

Our Father, w r ho art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love 
of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be 
with us all evermore. Amen. 

Tuesday Evening, 

COLOSSIANS II. 

0 God, we come into Thy blessed presence on 
this the evening of another day, thanking and prais- 
ing Thee for all the tokens of Thy love and mercy. 
On Thee we are dependent for all the temporal 
bounties of our lot, and for all our higher and more 
enduring spiritual privileges. If we have been 
enabled this day to resist temptation and to fight 
against sin 5 it is all Thy blessed grace which has 



Tuesday Evening. 



Ill 



enabled us to do so. Our hearts are ever dealing 
treacherously, both with ourselves and Thee. The 
good that we would, that we do not, and the evil 
that we would not, that we do. We are frequently 
contracting fresh guilt. Nothing but the merits of 
our blessed Redeemer can wash away sin. All our 
tears and repentance cannot do so. It is Jesus, and 
Jesus only, in all the fullness of His grace, in all the 
efficiency of His intercession, in all the glories of His 
finished work. Help us, Saviour, or we die ! Sprin- 
kle every heart with Thy blood. This alone will 
serve as a Passover in the great day of coming 
wrath. 

While we look by faith to a completed atonement 
as the alone ground of our justification, we would 
look to Thy Holy Spirit to work in us all the good 
pleasure of Thy goodness. May He mould us after 
the Redeemer's image, and conform us to His will. 
May we be led to imitate the Saviour's meekness, 
gentleness and untiring benevolence. Give us fer- 
vent charity to all men, lofty integrity in our dealings, 
faithfulness to whatever trust Thy providence has 
confided to us. May we strive to be useful in our 
generation. 

Have mercy on the sons and daughters of sorrow. 
Let them rest in Thy love. Let them see that they 
never could have known Thee unless Thou hadst 
tried them. Promote Thy cause and kingdom in 
the world. Pour out upon all thy ministers and 
missionaries and churches the healthful spirit of Thy 
grace. May the time soon come when, under one 



112 



Fourth Week. 



Shepherd and one sheepfold, all ends of the earth 
shall see the salvation of God. 

Bless our own immediate dwelling, and the circle 
of those nearest and dearest to us. 0 that as each 
evening comes round, we may feel that a day has 
been spent for Thee. May the thought be of a hal- 
lowed kind to us, that we shall soon end the journey 
and be with Thyself forever. Be with us throughout 
this night ; may our bodies be refreshed with sleep ; 
may we awake to the duties of another day with 
our minds stayed on God. And unto Thy great 
name we ascribe blessings, now and forever. Amen. 



Wednesday Morning. 

Psalms CXXXIII— IV. 

0 Lord, nothing befalls us but what is the dictate 
of infinite wisdom and everlasting love. The High- 
est of all Beings is the kindest of all. Our lives are 
one amazing retrospect of kindness, mercy upon 
mercy, and " there are no small mercies with Thee; 
all are great, because the least are undeserved." 

We bless Thee for a full, free and everlasting sal- 
vation in J esus. We come to Thee on the broad 
ground of Thine own offered welcome. May we be 
justified freely by His grace. Amid the fitfulness 
of our own ever-changing feelings, may we be able to 
make the challenge, "Who shall separate us from 
the love of Christ?" May the common blessings of 



Wednesday Morning. 



113 



life be hallowed by the sense of xhe mightiest of all 
blessings, that of being at peace with Thee in Him. 

Distrusting our own strength and sufficiency, let 
us lean our whole weight upon His arm. May we 
have more of the feelings and tastes and habits of 
"pilgrims." May we desire a better country. May 
our habitual watchword be, "We are journeying." 
Let us not tamper with sin. May all that is pleasing 
to Thee be owned ; may new-born principles ripen 
into holy tastes and permanent habits ; may all 
anger and wrath, and malice and evil speaking, be 
put away from us. If tempted to uncharitable feel- 
ings, or the indulgence of unholy, unforgiving tem- 
pers, may we seek to set Jesus before us, and 
remember Him who was meek and lowly in heart. 
Thy presence hallows all joy, and sweetens all sor- 
row, and takes the sting from every thorn and every 
cross. Other friends have failed us ; Thou hast never. 
Let us know that our happiest hours are those which 
are spent for Thee. If we have Thy favor and bless- 
ing we are independent of every other. 

We pray for the afflicted. Be a Father to the 
fatherless, a husband to the widow, the stranger's 
shield and the orphan's stay. Let every heavy- 
laden one know that it is Thy gracious hand that 
puts the burden on and keeps it on. Give us all 
grace to be resigned to Thy will, sorrowing or 
rejoicing, in sickness, in health, in living or dying. 

Do Thou sanctify our home. (May our children 
rise up and call Thee blessed ; pour Thy rich grace 
early into their hearts ; may they be led to remem- 

8 



Fourth Week. 



ber their Creator in the days of their youth. May 
this be their highest blessedness, that they are the 
children of their Father in heaven.) 

May we all feel that each of us have in our several 
spheres some work to perform for Thee. Let the 
solemn word of warning be ever sounding in our 
ears, "The night cometh, wherein no man can work." 
0 may we be diligent, that we may at last be found 
of Him in peace, without spot and blameless. And 
all that we ask is for the Redeemer's sake. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Wednesday Evening. 

* John XVIII. 

Almighty and most gracious God, we draw near 
to Thy throne of grace through the blood and inter- 
cession of Thine own dear Son, to glorify Thee for 
the mercies of the past day, and to cast ourselves 
upon Thy kindness and care for the coming night. 
Ever blessed be Thy holy name that the Lord Jesus 
condescended, in the fullness of His zeal for Thy 
glory and His compassion for us, to undertake and 
accomplish the work of our redemption. We would 



Wednesday Evening. 



115 



be humbled because of our sins, when we reflect 
upon the sufferings that Jesus endured for us. 0 
grant that the Holy Spirit, whose office it is alone 
to take of the things of Christ and show them to Thy 
people, may fill our hearts with the love of Christ, 
that we may love Him who first loved us, who gave 
Himself for us, and now intercedes on our behalf at 
Thine own right hand. May we be able daily to 
carry about with us in the body the dying of the 
Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be mani- 
fested in our mortal flesh. May Christ live in us ; 
may we live for Him and to His glory. Let the 
knowledge of His redemption spread in the world. 
Give success to all missionary efforts and the labors 
of Thy ministering servants, and may the time speedily 
come when all the ends of the earth shall turn unto 
the Lord, and all nations do Him homage. Bless us 
with grace throughout the coming night. As the 
sun has not smitten us by day, so neither let the 
moon by night. Refresh us with the rest of Thy 
belovecl, and raise us up to the health and strength 
of a new day. And under the constant guidance 
of Thy supporting and sanctifying grace, may we be 
prepared to lie down in the grave in peace, and 
wake on the resurrection morn to the glories and 
blessedness of eternal life. All we ask is in and 
through the name of Jesus Christ, our strength and 
our Redeemer. Amen. 



116 



Fourth Week. 



Thursday Morning. 

Romans VII. 

0 Lord, we desire to draw near unto Thy blessed 
presence on this the beginning of a new day. Do 
Thou accept of our morning sacrifice. Enkindle 
our souls with a live coal from the inner sanctuary. 
Throughout the day may our minds be stayed on 
Thee. May a sense of Thy favor and love be inter- 
mingled with all its duties, hallowing all its pleas- 
ures and softening all its trials; may we feel the 
happiness of holy living, and regard nothing this 
world can give as comparable for a moment to the 
enjoyment of Thy friendship and love. Blessed 
Saviour, nothing can give us peace but Thy peace. 
For every hour, for every moment, for every time 
of need, for every diversity of situation, Thou art. 
Undertake Thou for us ; may we have no trust in 
anything but in Thy matchless work; may we have 
strength given us either to perform or endure Thy 
will. In all things may we seek to glorify Thy holy 
name; may no idol usurp Thy place in our souls; 
may we worship Thee only, Thee wholly, Thee for- 
ever. Arouse Thy churches to greater zeal in the 
promotion of Thy cause. We would pray the Lord 
of the harvest that He would send forth laborers to 
His harvest. 

0 Lord, dwell in this family ; hallow every heart 
in it as an altar to Thy praise ; impress upon us all 
a family resemblance to the Great Elder Brother, our 



Thursday Morning. 



117 



living head in glory. Pour Thy grace into the 
young. Each of us is advancing in life's journey; 
may we seek to be becoming more and more meet 
for our everlasting home. Prepare us for the unut- 
terable blessedness of close and uninterrupted fel- 
lowship with Thyself. Have compassion on all who 
are afflicted ; pity the houseless poor, the orphaned 
children, the widowed heart. 0 Thou, who turnest 
the shadow of death into mourning, do Thou console 
and bind up every such bleeding bosom. May they 
rejoice that Thou, the Great Refiner, knowest all 
that is needed by Thy people. May they adore 
Thee, alike in the dispensing of Thy gifts and in 
removing the feeling that their times are in Thy 
hands. We commit ourselves to Thy care ; may 
the Lord this day be to us a sun and shield ; may 
He give grace and glory, and withhold from us 
nothing that He sees to be truly good. And all 
that we ask is for Jesus' sake. 

Our Father, who art in heaven: Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 



118 



Fourth Week. 



Thursday Evening. 

Romans VIII, 1—27. 

Give ear to our words, 0 Lord; consider our 
meditations and enable us to approach Thee with 
becoming reverence. Thou inhabitest eternity, but 
our age is nothing before Thee. Thou art of purer 
eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look upon 
iniquity ; but Thou hast called us to Thy footstool. 
Thou hast shown a new and living way by the blood 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. We therefore draw nigh, 
in full assurance of faith, believing that we are as 
welcome as we are unworthy. 0 receive us gra- 
ciously, adopt us into the household of faith, and 
say to our souls, I am thy salvation. 

And, 0 Lord, we pray that we may grow in grace. 
If we have the reality of religion, how far are 
our works from being found perfect before God! 
Strengthen in us the things that remain, and help 
us to reach after the higher attainments and priv- 
ileges of the divine life, and not always live at this 
poor dying rate. May we be followers of God as 
dear children. May Thine eye be more to us than 
the inspection of all fellow-creatures, and Thy appro- 
bation be dearer than the applause of a thousand 
worlds. 

May no grace of the spirit be wanting in us ; may 
no duty of our calling be neglected or carelessly 
performed; may our faith be a strong faith, our 
hope a lively hope, our charity a fervent charity, 



Friday Morning. 



119 



our conversation a conversation becoming the Gos- 
pel of Christ ; may we stand complete in all the will 
of God, and may our light so shine before men that 
they may see our good works and glorify our 
Father, who art in heaven. 

May we long to serve our generation according 
to Thy will, and may all our works begin, continue 
and end in Thee. On Thee may we depend for light 
to know, and disposition to choose, and strength to 
perform, and submission to suffer, and patience to 
wait. And when we have done all, may we acknowl- 
edge that we are unprofitable servants, and confess 
that we deserve condemnation for the defects of our 
obedience, rather than a reward for its excellency ; 
and looking off from our duties, as well as our sins, 
to find a foundation for our hope, may we rejoice in 
Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. 
Shelter us through the night, and in the morning, 
with renewed strength and grateful hearts, may we 
rise to love Thee more and serve Thee better than 
we have done this day. These mercies, and all other 
necessary blessings, we humbly ask in the name and 
through the merits of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus 
Christ. Amen. 



Friday Morning. 

Psalm XXX. 

Heavenly Father, w^e desire to lift up our hearts 
with our voices this morning, whilst we magnify and 



120 



Fourth Week. 



extol Thy name together. Thou art infinitely exalted 
above our praises, as Thou art above our concep- 
tions; but yet it is a good thing to show forth Thy 
loving kindness every morning and Thy faithfulness 
every night. We are Thine, 0 Lord, for Thou didst 
make us, and not we ourselves ; we are Thy people, 
and the sheep of Thy pasture. The Lord is our 
Shepherd; we shall not want. Well may we say, 
Goodness and mercy have followed us all the days 
of our lives. 

We thank Thee for the bountiful provision which 
Thou hast made, not only for our temporal necessi- 
ties, but for our temporal comforts. Thou openest 
Thy hand and satisfiest the desire of every living 
thing. But how much greater reason have we to 
thank Thee for the care Thou hast shown for our 
precious and immortal souls, and for the unsearcha- 
ble riches of Thy goodness and mercy, in Christ 
Jesus our Lord! Hear, 0 heavens, and be aston- 
ished, 0 earth! God so loved the world that He 
gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believ- 
eth in Him might not perish, but have everlasting 
life. 0 forbid that any of us should be of those 
who receive the grace of God in vain. May it be 
given to each one of us to believe in the Lord Jesus 
Christ to the salvation of our souls. May we know 
experimentally that the Gospel is indeed the power 
of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; 
may we feel in our hearts its transforming power. 
Forbid that this world, or the things of this world, 
should ever again exercise an undue influence over 



Friday Morning. 



121 



us, but may our hopes and affections be elevated 
above it. May we look forward to the rest in 
heaven which remaineth for the people of God. 

We give Thee thanks for Thy kind care over us 
through the silent watches of the last night. We 
bless Thee for the health with which we have arisen, 
and for the comfortable circumstances in which we 
are here met. And now, 0 our God, we beseech 
Thee to be with us throughout the day ; keep us 
from all evil, especially from all sin. 

We commend to Thee all who are near and dear 
to us. Thou knowest all their wants ; we beseech 
Thee to supply them out of Thine infinite fullness. 
If any of them, like lost sheep, have wandered away 
from the paths of truth and righteousness, 0 do 
Thou enable them to retrace their steps, and bring 
them home in safety to the Redeemer's fold. For 
them and for ourselves we supplicate Thy pardoning 
mercy ; and when Thy purposes with us here below 
are finished, may we be admitted into those regions 
of blessedness, where love and happiness shall suffer 
no interruption forever. 

Our Father, who art in heaven: Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread ; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen, 



122 



Fourth Week. 



Friday Evening. 

John X. 

Almighty God and most merciful Father, in Thine 
abundant mercy Thou hast permitted us to draw 
near unto Thee, and promised to listen to the prayers 
which are offered up in the name of Thy beloved 
Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who also has encouraged 
us to gather ourselves together in His name, with the 
assurance that He will not only be among us, but 
act as our Mediator and Advocate with Thee, the 
Father, that whatsoever we ask according to Thy 
will we may obtain it. 

We are therefore emboldened, 0 our Father, to 
approach Thee with filial confidence, and to entreat 
Thee to lift up the light of Thy reconciled counte- 
nance upon us. Let our transgression be forgiven, 
and our sin covered. Accept, as a sufficient atone- 
ment for all our offenses, the sufferings and death 
of Him in whom alone Thou art ever well pleased, 
and through whom Thou canst not be offended with 
us. For His sake, 0 Lord, have mercy upon us, 
and forgive us all our iniquities. And though we 
are but worms and dust, yet Thou art our Creator, 
and we are the work of Thv hands. Yea, Thou art 
our Father, and we Thv children. Thou art our 
Shepherd, and we Thy flock. Thou art our Re- 
deemer, and we Thy people whom Thou hast bought. 
Thou art our God, and we Thine inheritance. Rebuke 
us not, then, in Thine anger, 0 Lord ; neither in Thy 



Friday Evening. 



123 



hot displeasure chasten us according to our deserts ; 
but if we must be corrected, let it be in mercy, and 
with a Father's tenderness. 

We give Thee thanks,. 0 Lord, for the temporal 
blessings with which Thou hast favored us, more 
especially for what of Thy goodness Thou hast caused 
to pass before us this day. We thank Thee that we 
went out and came in, in safety. And now we be- 
seech Thee to follow with a blessing the labors in 
which we have severally been engaged, and do Thou 
so second our industrious exertions that we may 
have enough to supply all our wants, that we may 
not be burdensome to any, but rather helpful to 
others. But deliver us from those excessive cares 
of this world which would so engross our time and 
our thoughts that the one thing needful should be 
forgotten. May our desires after worldly possessions 
be moderated, by considering their uncertain nature; 
and while others are laying up treasures on earth, 
may we be rich towards God. 

To the care and protection of Thy Almighty 
providence would we humbly commend ourselves 
this night. Take charge of us and ours. 0 Thou, 
Keeper of Israel, who never slumberest nor sleepest, 
watch over us for good. Let Thy mighty hand and 
outstretched arm, 0 Lord, be still our defense, Thy 
mercy and loving kindness in Jesus Christ our sal- 
vation, Thy true and holy word our instruction, Thy 
grace and Holy Spirit our consolation, now and for 
evermore. Amen. 



124 



Fourth Week. 



Saturday Morning. 

Psalm CXXXV. 

0 Lord, how manifold are Thy mercies toward us! 
They are new every morning. Great is Thy faith- 
fulness. Our lives, our health, our family comforts, 
our earthly enjoyments, are continued to us, and we 
are again permitted to approach Thy throne of 
grace. What shall we render unto Thee, 0 Lord, 
for these Thy benefits ! Let our souls bless Thee ; 
let all that is within us praise Thy holy name, who 
thus savest our lives from destruction, and crowned 
us with mercy and loving kindness. 

We are ashamed for our vileness, and for our 
abuse of these Thy mercies. We have not rendered 
unto Thee according to Thy goodness. 0 Ls>rd, 
pardon our iniquity. Look upon the face of Thine 
anointed. Re.member His sufferings in our behalf. 
Show us Thy mercy, 0 Lord, and grant us Thy sal- 
vation. Give us pardon and peace, that we may 
be cleansed from all our sins, and serve Thee with a 
quiet mind. Grant us the spirit to think and do 
always such things as be rightful, that we, who can- 
not do anything that is good without Thee, may by 
Thee be enabled to live according to Thy will. 
Make us humble and patient in our temper, upright 
and sincere in our dealings, and holy in all manner 
of conversation. Let us be active in business, fer- 
vent in spirit, serving the Lord. Help us to under- 
stand, and enable us to fulfill, the duties of our 



Saturday Morning. 



125 



respective callings and stations, that herein especially 
we may study to adorn the doctrine of God our 
Saviour, and show that we have not received His 
grace in vain. 

We implore Thy Fatherly care and protection this 
day. Keep us, we pray Thee, both outwardly in 
our bodies and inwardly in our souls. Preserve us 
in the hour of temptation. Deliver us from the 
evils which we feel or fear. Let Thy grace in all 
things be sufficient for us 

Be merciful to mankind in general, and shed 
abroad the light of Thy truth upon their hearts. 
Bless and defend Thy Church, and add to it daily 
such as shall be saved. Be gracious to our friends 
and relations. Look with compassion on the afflicted 
and distressed, and give them a happy issue out of 
all their afflictions. 

Hear our supplications, 0 Lord, and accept our 
services, through the intercession of Thy Son, our 
Saviour, who has graciously taught us to pray : 

Our Father, w T ho art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 



126 



Fourth Week. 



Saturday Evening. 

The Acts XVI, 25—40. 

0 God, what are we that we should be permitted 
to approach the presence of One so great and so 
glorious! We are apt to forget sin. We are too 
willing to hide it from Thee and hide it from our- 
selves, but we cannot evade Thy righteous judg- 
ment. We cannot screen our guilt from the great 
Heart-searcher. All things are naked and opened 
unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. 
But blessed be Thy name, we have "to do" with 
such a God as Thee. "Who is like unto Thee that 
pardoneth iniquity ! " Sinners — guilty, tempest- 
tossed — seeking rest and finding none, we find it in 
the blood and work, and merits and righteousness 
of Thy dear Son. Casting our eternal all on Him, 
we can rejoicingly say, " Return unto Thy rest, 0 
our souls, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with 
us." Bring us to live more constantly and habit- 
ually under the constraining influence of Redeeming 
love. May these souls of ours be wholly dedicated 
to Thy service. Let us not dream of reconciliation 
if we still cleave to sin. Let us not deceive our- 
selves with the form of godliness. Let us not rock 
ourselves asleep, saying, u Peace, peace, where there 
is no peace." May grace be waxing stronger and 
stronger, and sin waxing weaker and weaker. May 
the spirit of grace and peace and love u garrison" 
our hearts, and keep us from pride, the great 



Saturday Evening. 



127 



master-passion of our fallen and corrupted hearts; 
from vain glory and hypocrisy ; from envious, un- 
charitable, unforgiving frames and tempers. 0 may 
we be preserved in body, soul and spirit, ready to 
be presented faultless at last before the presence of 
Thy glory with exceeding joy. Be Thou with us 
this night. Be the Guardian of our unconscious 
hours. Whether we wake or sleep, may we live 
together with Thee. 

Thou hast brought us to the end of another week. 
We are on the eve of another Sabbath. 0 may we be 
nearer heaven, and better prepared for an everlast- 
ing season of communion with Thee. We would 
desire especially, as the week is closing, to remember 
before Thee all our beloved friends. God of all 
grace, dispense to them Thy richest blessings. Have 
mercy on all who are in affliction. 0 Thou Healer 
of the broken-hearted, Thou Helper of the helpless, 
may every wounded spirit be bound up by Thee. 

And now, Lord, what wait we for? Our hope is 
in Thee. Our wishes, our desires, our interests, our 
joys, our sorrows, our friends, we leave entirely to 
Thy care and disposal. Prepare us for the solemn 
duties and services of another day of the Son of 
Man. Give to all of us a double portion of Thy 
Holy Spirit, that our souls may be fitted for holding 
nearer and more intimate fellowship with Thee. And 
all that we ask is for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake. 
Amen. 



FIFTH WEEK. 



Sunday Morning. 

Psalm XXIV. 

0 Lord, we thank Thee for our preservation 
through another night, and for the privilege of ap- 
proaching Thee, this another Sabbath morning, in 
prayer. We come humbly entreating Thy blessings. 
When we consider Thy majesty and purity, and 
reflect upon our guilt, how shall we come before the 
Lord or bow before the Most High? We are un- 
worthy. We have sinned and done wickedly. Have 
mercy upon us, 0 God, have mercy upon us and 
forgive us! We come in the name of Jesus, our 
merciful and faithful High Priest. May we be justi- 
fied by His blood, and have access into that grace 
wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory 
of God. We know not when we leave our apart- 
ments what this day may bring forth. We know 
that we are to go out into a wicked world, and that 
we carry with us evil hearts. We know that with- 
out Thee we can do nothing that is good. We are 
ignorant, we are weak. We beseech Thee go Thou 
with us this day, and be our wisdom and our strength. 
Show us the way wherein we should go, and help us 
to walk joyously in that way. Keep us in all our 
ways. Behold us by Thine all-powerful and all- 



Sunday Morning. 



129 



loving hand, and may no sin have dominion over 
us. May we abstain from the appearance of evil. 
Aid us by Thy Spirit, that we may be impressive in 
our lives by our consistency and attractive by our 
aniiableness. May we think upon and pursue 
whatever things are lovely and of good report. 
Make us a blessing to those among whom we shall 
move. In our tempers and words and actions, may 
we show to the world that we are the Lord's. By 
Thy grace, good Lord, fit us for every changing 
scene. In all the trials of life, may our minds be 
stayed upon God and our thoughts be established. 
Help us to remember that trials from Thy hands are 
blessings in disguise. May we through life's whole 
pilgrimage walk by faith, and not by sight, and in 
every step we take, 0 assist us, that by faith we 
may cling to the precious promise, that all things 
work together for good to them that love the Lord. 
Grant us grace to love Thee supremely. May Thy 
will be ours in all things at all times. Bless Thy 
Church. Bless the world. 0 hasten the happy day 
when all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation 
of our God. Remember all who are in affliction. 
Comfort those who are on beds of languishing. Be 
Thou in the house of mourning. Be the Father of 
the fatherless, and the husband of the widow, and 
the help of the poor and needy. 

Hear us, 0 our merciful Father, in our prayers 
this morning. Guide us through life's toilsome pil- 
grimage. When we lie down to die, may our heads 
be sweetly pillowed upon the supports of Thy word, 

9 



130 



Fifth Week. 



and finally may we have a home in the everlasting 
kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

Our Father, who art in heaven: Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Sunday Evening. 

Matthew XVI. 

Praise waiteth for Thee, 0 God, in Zion, and 
unto Thee shall the vow be performed. 0 Thou 
that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come. 

We come anew, on this the evening of Thy holy 
day, acknowledging our great unworthiness. Fill 
us with a deep sense of our guilt. We are apt to 
ourselves, if not to Thee, to plead vain excuses for 
our sins. Let us know more and more the precious- 
ness of the faithful saying, that u Jesus Christ came 
into the world to save sinners." May we live at all 
times as Thy redeemed children. As He that hath 
called us is holy, so may we be holy in all manner of 
conversation. Put Thy fear in our hearts, not the fear 
of torment, but the holy child-like fear of offending 
so kind a Father, so gracious and forgiving a Saviour. 
Blessed Lord, make these unworthy hearts of ours 
living temples. May our lives be one continued 



Monday Morning. 



131 



thank-offering for Thine amazing mercies. As Thy 
blood-bought children, may we count it our highest 
privilege, as well as our sacred duty, to walk so as 
to please Thee. Keep us from inactivity and sloth. 
Let our loins be girded and our lamps burning ; let 
us be growing in faith and love, in charity and meek- 
ness, in diligence and faithfulness, rejoicing in hope 
of the glory of God. Revive Thy work in the midst 
of the years ; in the midst of wrath do Thou remem- 
ber mercy. We pray for all in affliction. 0 Thou who 
art the Healer of the broken-hearted, the Comforter 
of all that are cast down, do Thou impart to every sor- 
rowing, bereaved spirit Thine own everlasting consola- 
tions. We commend our family and household to 
Thy care. Be Thou the covenant God of all near 
and dear to us. Whether they be now present or 
absent, may they all be near and dear to Thee. 

Take us all under Thy providence this night. Let 
us fall asleep under Thy blessed protection ; may no 
unquiet dreams disturb our repose, and when the 
gates of the morning are again opened, may it be to 
hear Thy benediction and blessing, "Fear not, for I 
am with Thee." And all that we ask is in the name 
of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen. 



Monday Morning. 

Psalm CXV. 

0 Lord, through the tender mercy of our God 
the day-spring from on high hath visited us ? to give 



132 



Fifth Week. 



light unto us who sat in darkness, and in the region 
and shadow of death, to guide our feet in the way 
of peace. Thou hast brought near Thy righteous- 
ness, and revealed unto us the abundance of grace 
and truth. Thou art inviting and beseeching us all, 
unworthy as we are, to receive the atonement, to be 
reconciled unto Thee through the death of Thy Son, 
to be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salva- 
tion. What manner of persons ought we to be in 
fervent gratitude, in deep humility, in holy conver- 
sation and godliness! But we have turned to our 
farms and our merchandise, our studies and amuse- 
ments, and neglected the things that belong to our 
everlasting peace. If we say that we have no sin, 
we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 
Blot out, we beseech Thee, all our transgressions. 
Revive and quicken us, for Thine own name's sake. 
Rescue us from the spiritual poverty, degradation 
and misery in which we are involved. Bring us into 
the glorious liberty of Thy children. 0 let Thy Holy 
Spirit be upon us, that we may confide in His love, 
that we may rejoice in His salvation, that we may 
grow in conformity to His image, and that we may 
seek the good of His Church always. 

We bless Thee, 0 Lord, for Thy protecting care 
and Thine unwearied goodness. Thou hast made 
our cup run over; Thou hast punished us far less 
than our sins deserve ; in wrath Thou hast remem- 
bered mercy. May our comforts be blessed, our 
trials sanctified, and our brotherly love increased. 
Be very gracious to all who are dear to us; if they 



Monday Evening. 



133 



be in danger, do Thou protect them ; if they be in 
sorrow, do Thou comfort them ; if they be exposed 
to temptation, do Thou keep them from falling, and 
if they be still in their sins, do Thou save them by 
the washing of regeneration and renewing of the 
Holy Ghost. Give food to the hungry, and raise 
up all that are bowed down. And unto Thee be 
ascribed all glory and power, forever and ever. 

Our Father, who art in heaven: Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Monday Evening. 

2 John. 

0 Lord, we bless Thee that we are again permit- 
ted, in the multitude of Thy mercies, to see the close 
of another day. Make not our pillow this night the 
pillow of death. Give Thine angels charge over us 
during the unconscious hours of sleep, and when we 
awake may we be still with Thee. 

We desire to take Thee as our chief joy; we cast 
our every care upon Thee ; Thou carest for us ; Thou 
caredst for us before we cared for ourselves; our 
lives are one continuous history of undeserved 
watchfulness in the past. And we will trust Thee in 



Fifth Week. 



the future. In all our ways we would acknowledge 
Thee; do Thou direct our paths. Let our one ani- 
mating wish and longing be to be nearer Thee now, 
and with Thee forever in heaven. May every return- 
ing night, as it finds us nearer the morning of glory, 
find us better prepared for it. 

We desire this night to lie down in peace and 
sleep, with our eye on the opened fountain. Wash 
out all the defilements of the day. He is able to 
save, He is willing to save, He is waiting to save. 
We have no other refuge but Him, no other friend 
like Him. 

We commend to Thy gracious care and providence 
our family and household. May each be a member 
of the household of faith. Do Thou, if it be Thy 
will, long continue unbroken our home circle on 
earth, but let our true home be above. Let the 
watchword of each near and dear to us be this: 
"We are journeying unto the place of which the 
Lord hath said, I will give it you." Bless the 
young; train them early for glory. Preserve them 
from the countless temptations of a world lying in 
wickedness. We pray for the afflicted ; we commend 
them to Him who knows their frame, and who, hav- 
ing suffered, being tempted, is able to succor them 
that are tempted. 

Let Thy kingdom come. Stand by Thy mission- 
ary servants; may they have many heathen souls 
for their hire, many who shall be to them as a crown 
of joy and rejoicing on the great day. 

Lord, we commend ourselves to Thee; known 



Tuesday Morning. 



135 



unto Thee are all our wants; we leave our petitions 
at the footstool of Thy throne, knowing that in Thee 
we have a rich Provider; and when the provisions 
of the earthly journey are needed no more, may it 
be ours to feed on the better bread which endureth 
to everlasting life. And all that we ask is in the 
name and for the sake of Him whom Thou hearest 
always, and to whom, with Thee, 0 Eternal Spirit, 
be ascribed all blessing, world without end. Amen. 



Tuesday Morning. 

Psalm CIII. 

Almighty God, during the past night we have 
rested securely upon our beds, guarded and pro- 
tected by Thy vigilant care. We hail the light of 
this day as a gift from Thee ; and as we remember 
Thy kindness shown in our preservation through the 
night-watches, and call to mind Thy promise to sus- 
tain us amid the trials of the day, we call upon our 
souls to bless the Lord, and all that is within us to 
praise His holy name. We bless Thee for our lives, 
our health, our intelligence, our temporal advan- 
tages, and our religious privileges. We thank Thee 
for the blessed experiences of Thy presence and love 
in the past, and for Thy promised blessing in the 
future. But especially do we adore the mercy Thou 
hast manifested towards us in the gift of our precious 
Redeemer. We would glory in His Cross, and be- 



136 



Fifth Week. 



come crucified unto the world by Him. Bending 
before the Cross where Jesus was slain, we would 
recognize His death as the crowning blessing of all 
Thou hast bestowed upon sinfal men. 

We thank Thee for the gift of Thy Holy Spirit, 
presiding over our destinies, stimulating us to activ- 
ity, directing us amid the perplexities of life, and 
bearing witness with our spirits that we are children 
of God. May that blessed Spirit enlighten our 
minds, purify our desires, ennoble our aims, and 
guide us into all truth, being to us a Comforter in 
time of trouble and a Supporter in the hour of death. 

But our devotions, 0 God, must be mingled with 
contrite confession. We acknowledge our offenses, 
we confess our guilt. Thy law have we violated; 
Thy mercy have we despised ; Thy reproofs have we 
scorned; the blood of Thy Son have we trampled 
under foot. But our hearts are filled with sorrow 
for these misdeeds. We come humbly to Thee, con- 
fessing our sins and devoutly praying Thy forgive- 
ness, relying upon the mediation and death of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. Give us a spirit of gratitude, we 
beseech Thee, that will prompt us hereafter to forsake 
the paths of sin and follow the meek and holy Jesus. 

Our Father, we invoke Thy choicest blessings 
upon our friends everywhere. Bless our relations, 
both present and absent; bless our neighbors, and 
grant, in the fullness of Thy mercy, that Thy king- 
dom may be established in this community, and that 
righteousness may flourish. 

Dear Lord, bless our enemies also. If we have 



Tuesday Evening. 



137 



wronged them, give us the candor to see our own 
fault, and the grace to confess and forsake it. If 
they alone are in error, help them to cease to do evil, 
and do Thou so move upon our hearts, that we may 
be always ready to forgive the offense and love 
the penitent offender. 

Now we commit ourselves to Thee for the day 
upon which we have just entered. Under Thy 
guidance may we walk its paths ; in its temptations 
may we take refuge in Thy bosom. From its perils 
may we be delivered by Thy protecting love. What- 
ever business we transact, may it be in Thy fear. 
If any new and sudden temptation beset us, arm us 
to meet it and achieve a victory for J esus. When 
the day shall close, our Heavenly Father, may we 
lie down under Thy watchful eye, and sleep the 
sleep of innocence in Christ. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name ; Thy kingdom come ; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Tuesday Evening. 

Matthew XII, 1 — 21. 

0 Lord, help us to approach Thee with reverence 
and godly fear. ' We are lost in wonder when we 



138 



Fifth Week. 



reflect upon Thy greatness and majesty, and still 
more so when we reflect upon Thy goodness and 
mercy. Lord, what is man, that Thou shouldst be 
mindful of him, or the son of man, that Thou shouldst 
visit him? Yet hast Thou been mindful of us in a 
wonderful manner, and hast most graciously visited 
us in our helpless, lost and ruined state* Thou hast 
given Thy only begotten and well-beloved Son to 
be a ransom for our sins; to suffer death upon the 
cross, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us 
unto Thee. Quicken us from our spiritual drowsi- 
ness and insensibility. Give us a more lively sense 
of Thy mercies, and hearts more grateful to Thee 
for them. 

We confess with shame that we are too, much' 
attached to things below; that earthly trifles so 
engage us as to rob our souls of much spiritual 
comfort. 0 let Thy bountiful grace and mercy 
speedily deliver us. Grant, 0 merciful God, that 
the old Adam in each of us may be so buried that the 
new man may be raised up in us. Grant that we 
may have power and strength to have victory, and 
to triumph against the devil, the world and the flesh. 
May we not be of the number of those who walk in 
darkness and only mind earthly things, but may we 
live as those whose conversation is in heaven, and 
who seek those things which are above, where Christ 
sitteth at Thy right hand. 

Be pleased graciously to accept our thanks for 
the continuance of Thy kindness through another 
day. Take us, merciful Father, under Thy care this 



Wednesday Morning. 



139 



night. Pardon the sins of this day and of our whole 
lives. Spread now Thy wing over us. Remember, 
in Thy kindness and mercy, all for whom we ought 
to pray. Bless all Thy ministers, wherever they are 
employed in Thy vineyard. Water them abundantly 
with the dew of Thy Holy Spirit. Deliver them 
from the fear of man, from seeking the applause of 
men, and from preaching themselves, or anything 
else, instead of Christ crucified. Build up the walls 
of Zion, and strengthen them, that the gates of hell 
may not prevail against them. 

Pity the sick and afflicted; relieve the destitute; 
be the Father of the fatherless, and the God of the 
widow ; and do for us, and all for whom we should 
pray, exceeding abundantly, for the Lord Jesus 
Christ's sake. Amen. 



Wednesday Morning. 

John VIII, 31—59. 

We bo^Y our knees this morning unto the God 
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the 
whole family in heaven and earth is named, for unto 
Thee, 0 Lord, every knee should bow and every 
tongue confess. We feel that it becomes us to stand 
in awe of Thy majesty, for we are sinful dust and 
ashes; but we rejoice that we are warranted at the 
same time to confide in Thy mercy, for this has been 
Thy name and Thy memorial in all generations. 



HO 



Fifth Week. 



Thou hast set forth Thine own Son to be a propitia- 
tion for our sins, and hast raised Him from the dead 
and exalted Him to glory. Him Thou hearest 
always, and Thou hast been pleased to declare Thy 
willingness to receive graciously all who come unto 
Thee by Him. We desire to acknowledge Thee as 
the giver of everything that contributes to our 
domestic comfort and happiness. In looking for- 
ward to the duties of this day, we humbly plead 
that sufficient grace may be bestowed to enable us 
to discharge them faithfully and fully. May we be 
shielded by Thy providence from danger, and re- 
strained by Thy grace from sin. Be Thou our strong 
habitation, where unto we may continually resort. 
May we walk in the light of Thy countenance, and 
in Thy name may we rejoice all the day. Great 
are Thy tender mercies, 0 Lord; we therefore be- 
seech Thee to maintain the cause of the afflicted and 
the right of the poor. Relieve the fatherless and 
w r idow ; give food to the hungry ; raise those that 
are bowed down, and heal the broken in heart. 
May the Lord fulfill the desires we have now so 
imperfectly expressed, and do better for us all than 
we are able to ask, for the sake of His Son, our 
Saviour. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation; but deliver us from evil; for Thine 



Wednesday Evening. 



141 



is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Wednesday Evening, 

John XII. 

0 God, we bless Thee for Thy great mercy, that 
we are again permitted to approach the throne of 
the heavenly grace. Many have been summoned 
this day into eternity. We have been spared. The 
curtains of night have again fallen around us in 
peace. We come to Thee, casting our sins on His 
righteousness. Wash every guilty stain away. For- 
give our sins of omission and sins of commission. May 
the Angel be caused to fly swiftly and touch us in this 
the time of our evening devotion. One day's trans- 
gressions are enough to condemn us. There is noth- 
ing but the sacrifice and continual intercession of 
our Great High Priest between us and everlasting de- 
struction. It is His free and all-powerful grace alone 
that from hour to hour averts from us temptations 
which we could have no strength in ourselves to 
resist. 0 God, in mercy, deny us not this grace of 
Thine! May we ourselves be sober and vigilant, 
ever on the watch-tower, guarding every approach 
most open to the assaults of our great enemy. In 
all time of our tribulation, in all time of our wealth, 
in the hour of death, and at the day of judgment, 
deliver us. 

Instruct the ignorant; reclaim the wanderer; save 
the obdurate and impenitent. 0 convince them, ere 



142 



Fifth Week. 



it be too late, that there is no loss comparable to 
the loss of the soul — to be left godless and hopeless 
and portionless forever. Point them to the Lamb 
of God; cleanse them in the atoning blood; make 
them the monuments of thine adorable mercy. Look 
down in kindness on all who are in affliction. Draw 
near to those who may be bereaved of near and 
clear friends ; may they know that he is faithful that 
promised, "I will never leave Thee nor forsake 
Thee." Bless all our beloved friends ; write their 
names in the Lamb's Book of Life ; may the pillar 
of Thy presence go before them; may it never leave 
them till it leaves them in glory. Bless our own 
family ; (bless the children ; may they all be taught 
of the Lord, and great shall be their peace.) May 
Thy wings overshadow us during the silent watches 
of the night, and when we awake may we aw^ake to 
praise Thee, and to use the pow r ers and the talents 
committed to us to Thy glory. And all that we 
ask is for the sake of Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord 
and Saviour. Amen. 



Thursday Morning. 

Luke XII, 1—32. 

0 Lord, Thou art a spirit, and no man hath seen 
Thee at any time. Thou goest by and we see Thee 
not, Thou passest on also and we perceive Thee not, 
yet art Thou nigh to every one of us, for in Thee we 



Thursday Morning* 143 

live and move and have our being. Thou hast pre - 
served us through the silent watches, and brought 
us unto the light of a new day. We would this day 
acknowledge Thee our Creator, Preserver and Re- 
deemer. From everlasting to everlasting Thou art 
God, but all flesh is as grass; we all do fade as the 
leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have carried 
us away. Who can say, I have made my heart 
clean; I am pure from my sin? Every way of a 
man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord pondereth 
the hearts. There is not a just man upon earth, that 
doeth good and sinneth not. We bless Thee that 
Thou hast laid our help upon One that is mighty to 
save. As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be 
made alive. 0 Lord, let Thy Holy Spirit take of 
the things that are of Christ, and show them to us, 
that we may know our need of a Saviour, and flee 
for refuge to the hope set before us in the Gospel. 
Create in us, 0 God, a clean heart, and renew a 
right spirit within us. Sanctify us through Thy truth, 
that, dying daily unto sin and living unto righteous- 
ness, we may grow daily in conformity to Thy will, 
and be prepared to meet our God. 

Follow with Thy blessing our reading of Thy word 
and our meditations at this time. Do Thou grant 
us in this and every season of grace refreshing from 
Thy presence. Lord, dwell in this house and family. 
Never leave us and never forsake us. In our several 
places, duties and relations, may we all have a single 
eye to Thy service, and do all things to Thy glory. 
Shed abroad Thy love in our hearts, that we may 



144 Fifth Week. 

love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul, 
and mind and strength ; that as Thou hast loved us, 
we may love one another with pure hearts fervently ; 
that we may bear one another's burdens, and so 
fulfill the law of Christ. Let the words of our 
mouths and the meditations of our hearts find ac- 
ceptance with Thee, through Christ, our strength and 
our Redeemer. 

Our Father, who art in heaven: Hallowed be Thy 
name ; Thy kingdom come ; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread ; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 



Thuesday Evening, 

John VII, 1—31. 

0 God, be Thou present with us now, and enable 
us to worship Thee in spirit and in truth. Give us, 
we beseech Thee, the comfortable assurance that 
our sins are forgiven. Let Thy Spirit bear witness 
with our spirits that we are children of God. Im- 
part to us the gift of Thy Spirit, that we may bring 
forth love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, meek- 
ness, long-suffering, forbearance and temperance. 
Teach us so to live that we may glorify Thee, who 
hast bought us with a price of such amazing value 
as the blood of Thine own Son. 0 that all now 



Thursday Evening. 



145 



kneeling together may indeed obtain mercy in Christ 
Jesus. Shed abroad Thy love, Lord, in our hearts, 
and may we be taught of Thee to love one 
another. 

Bless, we beseech Thee, all that are near and dear 
to us. Many beloved relatives and friends are now 
absent from us, but Thou art with them, and all 
their wants are known to Thee. Give them Thy 
grace, guide them by Thy counsel, and may none 
of them be wanting in Thy heavenly kingdom. We 
pray for all in authority. Lord, may their counsels 
be so ordered by Thee as may be most for the good 
of our country. Give, we beseech Thee, to all the 
ministers of Jesus Christ, everywhere, true knowledge 
and understanding of Thy word, and may they set it 
forth in their lives accordingly. Make them wise to 
win souls. Lord, call forth and send out many faith- 
ful laborers to the work of the ministry. Bless every 
society established for benefiting the bodies or the 
souls of men. 

Thanks be unto Thee for all Thy goodness 
towards us. How multiplied are Thy mercies every 
day ! How excellent is Thy loving kindness. We 
bless Thee for all Thy long-suffering and forbearance 
towards us. We bless Thee for the infinite mercies 
of redeeming love. We bless Thee for the knowl- 
edge of Thy salvation, and for the light of Thy 
truth, for protection from every danger during the 
night, and provision for all our wants by day* Thou 
hast spread our table with food, and Thou givest us 

every needful good. Accept these our prayers and 
10 



146 



Fifth Week. 



our praises, which we offer up in and through Jesus 
Christ, our only Mediator. Amen* 



Friday Morning. 

I. Peter II, 7—18. 

0 Lord, Thou art from everlasting to everlasting 
God. We bless Thee for the Son of Thy love. We 
cannot wonder at any other mercy when Thou hast 
given ug Him. We stake our eternal all on Him. 
Reposing on His completed work, we can joyously 
say, "Return unto Thy rest, 0 our souls, for the 
Lord hath dealt bountifully with us." Let us enter 
into this rest. Let us feel that time is too short, and 
eternity too long, to be tampering with our salva- 
tion. May every other question of mere earthly 
interest be subordinated to this, "What must we do 
to be saved? " May we know that Jesus is in every 
respect the Saviour we need, that there is no friend 
so willing to be all and to do all for us. May the 
same mind be in us which was also in Him. Let us 
know the blessedness of living with Him in holy 
fellowship^ living from day to day upon Him with 
unfaltering dependence, and to Him in undivided 
consecration of every power of our bodies and every 
faculty of our souls. May we search out the plague 
of our own hearts. May whatever pleases Him 
please us. May we find all our happiness in the 
inquiry, "What the will of the Lord is," and know- 



Friday Morning. 



147 



ing it, to pursue prayerfully and joyfully our heaven- 
ward way. 

Bless all in sorrow. Descend, Lord, to heal their 
wounds. May they bow with humble submission to 
Thy will and say, "It is good for us that we have 
been so afflicted." May those laid on beds of lan- 
guishing exhibit patience under bodily pain and 
infirmity. May useful lives be spared, and the 
dying be prepared for death. 

Bless this family and household ; may we all know 
the happiness of present and everlasting shelter in 
the Shepherd's fold. May the lambs of the flock be 
taken in His arms and carried in His bosom. Hasten 
the promised times of refreshing from the presence 
of the Lord. May Jesus take to Himself His great 
power and reign. Arise, 0 God, and let Thine 
enemies be scattered. 

Take us this day under Thy peculiar care. Bless 
and keep us. Cause Thy face to shine on us. Fit 
us for life and for death and for glory, for Jesus' 
sake. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread ; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 



148 



Fifth Week. 



Friday Evening. 

Maek X, 28—52. 

0 Lord, Thou art the hearer of prayer, and unto 
Thee shall all flesh come. Blessed be Thy name 
for the freedom of access we enjoy to Thy throne 
of grace, and for the sure promise we have received, 
that whatsoever things we shall ask in Christ's name, 
believing, we shall receive. Help us to ask in faith, 
believing that Thou art, and that Thou art the Re- 
warder of them that diligently seek Thee. 0 Lord, 
do Thou impress our minds with a deep and abiding 
sense of the preciousness of Christ. May we account 
all other things but loss for the excellencv of the 
knowledge of the Saviour; may we feel that all 
other things are less than nothing and vanity, com- 
pared with winning Christ, and being found in Him. 
Under this conviction may we be ready to follow 
Him through good report and through evil; to take 
up our cross, to deny ourselves and to go after 
Jesus ; and grant that we may be daily growing up 
into Him in all things. May we take His yoke 
upon us, and learn of Him who was meek and lowly 
of heart. Forbid that we should think that we are 
already perfect. This one thing may we do, forget- 
ting the things that are behind, and reaching forth 
unto those things which are before, may we be ever 
pressing towards the mark for the prize of the high 
calling of God, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Truly we 
are unprofitable servants. We have done the things 



Saturday Morning. 



149 



we ought not to have done ; we have neglected 
those things it was our duty to do. Good Lord, 
sanctify to us all the trials and vicissitudes of our 
earthly pilgrimage. When oppressed at any time 
with afflictions, may we learn to look unto Christ, 
who endured the cross, despising the shame, and is 
now set down at the right hand of the Majesty in 
the heavens. And grant, Heavenly Father, that we 
may be apt to learn those lessons of heavenly wis- 
dom which the dispensation of Thy providence 
towards us may be fitted and designed to teach. 
May we walk before Thee as children of the light 
and of the day, committing our way unto the Lord. 
In Thy light may we see light clearly, and rejoice 
in the hope of Thy glory. Forgive, 0 Lord, the sins 
of this day and of all our days. We thank Thee for 
the goodness and mercy Thou art still making to 
follow us. May we lie down this evening and take 
quiet rest ; may no plague come nigh our dwelling, 
and at whatever time we awake may we be still 
with Thee. Let Thy mercy be still on us, as we 
hope in Thee. And to Thy name in Christ J esus 
shall be everlasting praise. Amen. 



Saturday Morning. 

Psalm XXXIX. 

0 God, we desire to come into Thy blessed pres- 
ence on this the morning of a new day, adoring 



150 



Fifth Week. 



Thee for all Thy mercies. Last night we might 
have slept the sleep of death ; we might have been 
startled by the midnight cry, "Prepare to meet Thy 
God!" Bnt Thy love and forbearance again permit 
us to meet on praying ground. 

Lord, we look back with amazement at Thy 
patience. Mercies have been abused, providences 
slighted, warnings neglected. But Thou art not 
willing to leave us. Thou art still opening up a 
way for the return of Thy prodigal and wayward 
children. We have still the richest encouragement 

CD 

to repair to the opened fountain. Jesus still waits; 
His blood still cleanses ; His spirit still pleads. The 
faithful saying is as faithful as ever, "Him that 
cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out." We 
desire to receive this new day as a fresh gift from 
Thee. Let Thine approval form throughout it a 
holy incentive to every duty. Let us feel that we 
never can be happy but when pleasing Thee. Lord, 
it is Thy will and desire that every moment we 
should be reaping glory for Thee. We look to Thy 
grace to enable us thus to will and to do. Strengthen 
us with all might by Thy Spirit in the inner man. 
How slow Ave are to believe that our truest security 
is leaning confidingly on Thine arm! Thou art 
faithful that promised — Thou art more faithful — 
Thou art better than Thy word. Thy name is the 
God of all grace ; Thou givest all sufficiency in all 
things. The cup runneth over that is filled by Thee, 
and nothing can come wrong to us that comes from 
Thy hand. 



Saturday Evening. 



151 



Bless all near and dear to us; all that is truly 
good for them in this life do Thou bestow, and, what 
is better, do Thou give them the heritage of glory. 
May our children be the children of the covenant; 
may they grow up as willows by the water-courses, 
and be a seed to serve Thee when we are gathered 
to our fathers. 

Take us all, young and old, this day under Thy 
protection. God of all mercy, spread Thy covering 
wings around us. Be our God and Guide even 
unto death, and finally bring us to Thine everlasting 
kingdom, through the merits of Thy dear Son, our 
only Lord and Saviour. 

Our Father, who art in heaven: Hallowed be Thy 
name ; Thy kingdom come ; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Saturday Evening. 

i II. Thessalonians III. 

0 God, do Thou bow Thine ear, as on this the 
close of another day. Long ere now might Thou 
have turned away Thy face from us and our prayers 
from Thee. What sinning against privilege, slighting 
warning, grieving Thy Spirit! And yet for all this 
Thy hand of mercy is stretched out still. 



152 



Fifth Week. 



Lord, we desire to remember how it is we are 
thus preserved. It is all in the Son of Thy love ; 
for His work's sake. But for Him this must have 
been our awful history, u Without God, without 
hope." We plead anew His finished atonement ; it 
is all we require, living or dying. We would glory 
in nothing but His cross. Give us to know the 
blessedness of the words, "No condemnation." Let 
us not rest until, with appropriating faith, we can 
say, "We know whom we have believed, and we 
are persuaded He is able to keep that which we 
have committed unto Him." "He loved us, and 
gave Himself for us." May Thy Holy Spirit take 
of the things that are Christ's, and show them unto 
our souls. May He touch our hearts as with a live 
coal from off Thy holy altar; may He sanctify us, 
body, soul and spirit. If led often to mourn over 
our dullness and coldness and lukewarmness here, 
may it be ours to look forward to that coming day 
of glory when every thought and every desire will 
be in perfect unison with the mind of the adorable 
God — -when there shall be nothing to mar the joy 
of entire and undivided consecration to Thy service. 

Bless our beloved friends, both near and at a dis- 
tance ; may they all be equally near to Thee. May 
each of us feel that the great and all-important secret 
of existence is to be living in constant and habitual 
preparation for eternity. Let us cast anchor now 
within the veil, that we may not know what it is at 
the hour of death to be left to the mercy of the 
storm. 



Saturday Evening. 



153 



Pity a careless, ungodly world ; arrest the spread 
of impiety ; establish the reign of purity and right- 
eousness ; break down intemperance. Give us grace 
to be faithful among the faithless, resolving that 
whatever others do, as for us, we will serve the Lord. 

Be with us this night. Watch over us as we 
sleep. May night after night of calm and refreshing 
slumber be to us the emblem of that better rest 
above, when in perfect security we shall dwell in 
the house of the Lord forever. Prepare us for the 
solemn services of Thy holy day. May each recur- 
ring Sabbath, as it finds us farther on in our pil- 
grimage, find us nearer glory. And all that we ask 
is for the Redeemer's sake. Amen. 



PRAYERS FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS. 

Sacramental Sunday Morning. 

0 Thou that hearest prayer, unto *Thee shall all 
flesh come. We come before Thee in the morning 
of this Thy holy day, in the name of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, Thy dear Son, our Saviour and Intercessor. 
We make mention of His righteousness, and of His 
alone, for our hope of acceptance with Thee; and 
pleading His perfect righteousness, may we have 
boldness to come to the throne of grace and obtain 
mercy. 

We adore Thee, great God, as the Author of our 
being and as the Giver of every good and perfect 
gift, as our Preserver, Benefactor and Redeemer. 
We thank Thee for all the temporal mercies bestowed 
upon us, for food, raiment, habitation and friends, 
and for our continued good health of body and 
mind. We thank Thee, too, for spiritual blessings; 
for these holy Sabbaths, with their stillness and 
solemnity; for our exemption from the ordinary 
cares and avocations of life ; for rest to our bodies 
and soul ; for all the spiritual advantages connected 
with their proper observance, and for all the benefits 
we have derived from them, imperfect as our ob- 
servance has been. We bless Thee for the privilege 
of prayer, that we are permitted to pray, and that 



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155 



we are invited and encouraged to hold communion 
with Thee, the Father of our spirits in all our joys 
and sorrows, and to cast our burden on the Lord, 
who will sustain us and comfort us. We bless Thee 
for an open Bible, that we may freely use, and when 
and where we please ; that therein Thou hast shown 
us the purposes of Thy love to our guilty race; 
given us doctrines to believe, precepts to obey, 
taught us Thy will concerning our salvation, and 
held up before us the story of the Cross, and of Him 
who died upon it for man's redemption. We bless 
Thee for a preached Gospel, for liberty of conscience, 
and the privilege of worshiping Thee according to 
its dictates. We bless Thee for the gift of the Holy 
Spirit; that He has come "to convince of sin, of 
righteousness and of judgment;" to enlighten our 
minds in the knowledge of the truth; to show us 
that we are by nature guilty, polluted sinners, and 
that as such we deserve Thy wrath, and that He has 
come to "take of the things of Christ and show 
them unto us/' to reveal Christ as the only and all- 
sufficient Saviour, and to enable and persuade us to 
embrace Him as He is freely offered to us "in the 
Gospel." For all these rich and inestimable bless- 
ings we call upon our souls, and all that is within 
us, to praise Thee, to whom alone we are indebted 
for them. Thus Thou hast us under a debt of love 
and gratitude we can never repay ; and as gratitude 
is the only return we can make for all Thy favors, 
may that gratitude be evinced by lives of entire con- 
secration to Thy service. Lord, we are Thine by 



156 



Special Occasions. 



every claim that one being can have on another. 
We are Thine by creative power. Thine by preserv- 
ing care, and Thine by redeeming love. Under a 
sense of these claims, and constrained by Thy mer- 
cies, we now present our bodies before Thee, a living 
sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is 
our reasonable service. 

But who are we, 0 Lord, that Thou shouldst 
bestow such blessings upon us? We have not de- 
served anything at Thy hands. We have no claims 
upon Thee for the least favor. We have no right- 
eousness to recommend us to Thee. Xo ; we are 
sinners. But, 0 God of grace, as Thou hast no 
pleasure in the death of the sinner, "there is forgive- 
ness with Thee, that Thou mayst be feared.' 5 " Have 
mercy upon us, then, 0 Lord; according to the 
magnitude of Thy tender mercies, blot out all our 
sins." Wash us in that atoning blood that has been 
shed; cover us with the righteousness of Jesus 
Christ as with a robe of praise, a mantle of salva- 
tion, and so cover us with it that when the Eye of 
infinite purity shall rest on us Thou shalt be satisfied. 
Bury our sins in the sea, the emblem of Thine own 
fathomless mercy. Grant us the indwelling of Thy 
good and free Spirit, sanctify us by His heavenly 
influence, and receive us graciously and love us 
freely. 

And now, 0 Lord, bless us in the solemn services 
of this day, in singing Thy praise, in supplicating 
Thy mercy-seat, in rendering our thanksgivings. 
Bless us in the reading and hearing Thy holy word, 



Special Occasions. 



157 



and open our hearts to receive the truth of Thy 
preached Gospel. Give the listening ear, the under- 
standing heart, and the applying conscience. May 
Thy word and ordinances do Thy people good, as 
they do to those who are upright in heart, in build- 
ing them up in their most holy faith, and in strength- 
ening them for every good work. Bless Thy Gospel 
to all who shall hear it; to the weak, that they 
may be made strong; to the wavering, that they 
may become steadfast; to the lost, that they may 
be reclaimed; to the sorrowing, that they may be 
comforted. And 0 bring sinners to repentance; 
even u those that are far off bring nigh by the blood 
of Christ," and glorify Thy grace in their salvation. 
Send out Thy light and truth everywhere. "Let 
Zion arise, her light being come." May "she 
lengthen her cord and strengthen her stake," and 
many be gathered under her pavilion. Father, bless 
Thy ministering servants; clothe them with salva- 
tion, and make them the honored instruments of 
turning many to Christ. Bless the provision of Thy 
house to the spiritual nourishment of Thy people, 
and add to their numbers daily of such as shall be 
saved. 

In a special manner, we beseech Thee, 0 Father, 
to bless Thy dear children who shall gather around 
the table of their Lord this day to commemorate His 
dying love. Fill their hearts with the love of the 
Spirit, and replenish them with large supplies of 
grace. May they come with a simple, child-like 
faith in Jesus as their atoning sacrifice ; may their 



158 



Special Occasions. 



hearts be filled with love to Him, their unseen Sa- 
viour ; may they hold sweet communion with Him, 
and with Thee, 0 Father, and with the blessed Spirit, 
and with one another. And w r hile their Master, at 
the head of the feast, shall say, "Eat, 0 friends; 
drink— yea, drink abundantly, 0 beloved," may His 
banner over us be Love. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thv 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 

Sacramental Sunday Evening. 

John XIII. 

Most gracious God, who hast in Thy good provi- 
dence brought us to the close of another Sabbath, 
we entreat Thee to accept of our unfeigned thanks 
for all the loving kindness and tender mercy Thou 
hast made this day to pass before us. We bless 
Thee for all that our eyes have seen and our hands 
have handled of the word of life. Do Thou wash us 
after supper. May the benediction and blessing of 
the Master of the feast rest upon us. May we rejoice 
in the presence and love of Him who brought us 
into His own banqueting house, and caused His 
banner over us to be love. Gracious God, give us 



Special Occasions. 



159 



grace to pay the vows which our lips have this day 
uttered; fulfill in us all the good pleasure of Thy 
goodness, and the work of faith with power, that the 
name of the Lord Jesus Christ may be magnified. 
As we have named His precious name anew, may 
we henceforth depart from all iniquity. May a 
Communion Sabbath's services diffuse a hallowed 
glow over all the duties and engagements of the 
week; may we show to the world that we have 
"been with Jesus," and that it has been no vain 
thing for us to draw near unto God. Preserve us 
from wandering on debatable ground; may we ever 
be where we should wish to be found by our Lord 
when He cometh. 

We pray for those who may have joined with us 
this day in the same solemn and sacred ordinance. 
We commend each and all to the great Shepherd 
of the sheep, who, through the blood of the ever- 
lasting covenant, will make them perfect to do His 
will. Regard in Thy great mercy any who may 
have been prevented from waiting upon Thee in Thy 
house. Compensate by an increased supply of Thine 
own promised grace for the want of public services. 
Transform every sick-chamber and every death-bed 
into the house of God and the gate of heaven. May 
valuable lives be prolonged ; may the bereaved be 
comforted; may they repose their bleeding bosoms 

on Him who bares and knows their sorrows. 

Take the charge of us this night ; watch over us 

during the unconscious hours of sleep ; may we all 

come at last to the eternal blessedness of an unin- 



160 



Special Occasions. 



terrupted Communion Sabbath in glory, around 
which no shadows shall fall ; for there shall be no 
night there, and they need no candle, neither light 
of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light, and 
they shall reign forever and ever. Amen. 



Foe Opening Divine Service Sunday. 

0 Lord, our Father and our God, Thou dwellest 
in light and glory unapproachable, but Thou art 
infinite in condescension, and Thy Majesty reveals 
itself not in its distance from us, but in its nearness 
to our hearts. Day unto day, night unto night, 
season unto season, year unto year, all utter speech 
and show knowledge of Thee, for all these are Thy 
servants, waiting upon Thee, and fulfilling Thy be- 
neficent will in the large outgoings of Thy mercy 
toward the children of men. Six days hast Thou 
given us for labor, that we may do all our work and 
glorify Thee in the toil of our hands; and as Thou 
dost crown the year with Thy goodness, so Thou 
dost crown the week with Thy blessedness in the 
Sabbath that brings us rest from our burdens and 
peace in the midst of strife. We thank Thee, our 
Heavenly Father, that Thou hast made us capable 
of enjoying Thee in the services of Thy holy day. 
If Thy Spirit help our infirmities, we may enter into 
Thy gates with thanksgiving, and into Thy courts 
with praise. May we this day serve the Lord with 



Special Occasions. 



161 



gladness; may we be thankful unto Him and bless 
His name ; may we remember that the Lord is mer- 
ciful, and that His truth endureth to all generations, 
and may His goodness lead us to repentance, and 
draw us unto Him who taketh away the sin of the 
world. For the sake of Thy blessed Son, our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ, sanctify this day as Thy 
day to our hearts ; sanctify it to thoughtfulness and 
earnest consideration; sanctify it to warning and 
entreaty; let Thy word have free course, and be 
glorified as the word of Thy grace that bringeth 
good tidings and accomplisheth the end whereunto 
Thou hast sent it. 

Blessed be Thy name that on this day we are per- 
mitted to have fellowship one with another in the 
unity of the Spirit and in the bonds of peace. Bind 
us in closer sympathy to each other, and make us 
more patient and forbearing, and fill us with the 
charity that suffereth long, yet is kind. Rich and 
poor meet together, but Thou art the Maker and 
Redeemer of all. May we be one in Christ Jesus, 
and in His spirit may we bear one another's burdens, 
and so fulfill His law. Teach us how to help one 
another, and let our life ever be a ministry of thought 
and love and tenderness to others, so that, as the 
elect of God, we may let our light shine in the office 
of kindness, and by fervor of spirit, by constancy of 
self-denial, and by fidelity in every duty, glorify 
our Father in heaven. Unite all Thy people in 
Thee. Let envy, discord and strife be put away 
from among them, that they all may be co-workers 



162 



Special Occasions. 



in building up Thy promised kingdom, and estab- 
lishing the reign of Thy Son as the Sovereign of all 
nations* Impress deeply upon us our duties to man- 
kind. The salvation of the world is precious in Thy 
sight, and may we feel it, pray for it, labor for it, as 
for our own deliverance from evil. 0 let the wick- 
edness of the wicked come to an end. Father of 
mercies, look upon Thy Son's inheritance, look upon 
the waste places and the habitations of cruelty, and 
see how powerless are we to arrest the devastations 
of iniquity. Vain is the strength of man, vain the 
strength of governments and laws and social institu- 
tions, unless Thou givest power and blessing. In 
these sad days, arise in Thy love and majesty, and 
help Thy sorrowing and stricken Church, and may 
we be still and know that Thou art God. 

0 Thou that hearest prayer, hear us when we pray 
that all flesh may come unto Thee. Bless all efforts 
to enlighten, reform and purify the human race, all 
schools and colleges, asylums and hospitals, all good 
books, all alms-giving and charity, all missionary 
toils and sacrifices, and especially the preaching of 
the Gospel, that Thy name may be everywhere 
honored. Often we pray amiss ; often our infirmi- 
ties and follies come with us to Thy throne. Forgive 
us, good Lord, forgive us this day, if we have abused 
the grace of this holy privilege ; and throughout all 
this service may we wait upon Thee without the 
disturbance of the senses, without wandering of 
thought and restlessness of feeling ; and may we go 
forth from Thy worship as those who have seen the 



Special Occasions. 



163 



King in His beauty, and may we carry the joy of 
Thy presence into all the duties and toils of the 
awaiting week. Pardon all past offenses. Save us 
from the abuse of those virtues which Thy Spirit 
doth implant and nourish, nor suffer us at any time 
to pervert Thy grace by zeal without knowledge, or 
by truth without charity. Save us from the peculiar 
dangers of our times ; save us likewise from those 
enemies to which growing years and widening 
reaches of experience render us so liable, lest we fail 
of the grace of God, and its very power turn to 
utter weakness. Let the beauty of the Lord our 
God be upon us; let the work of our hands be 
established, that in all things God may be glorified 
by all we are and by all we do. Day by day may 
our life be renewed in Thee, and in Thee may that 
life be enlarged and perfected, so that when flesh 
and heart fail God may be the strength of our heart 
and our portion forever. And to Thy name, Father, 
Son and Spirit, be the glory evermore. Amen. 



For Closing Divine Services. 

0 Lord, our Father, accept the worships and 
services we have offered Thee, the hymns sung, the 
supplications made, the sermon delivered. Forgive, 
we pray Thee, all its imperfections, the idle thoughts, 
the wandering imaginations, the feeble exercises of 
love and devotion. And now as we go to our homes 
to meditate upon the beauties of Thy law and the 



164 



Special Occasions. 



good things of Thy house, fill us with the fullness 
and richness of Thy grace, and sanctify us by the 
indwelling of Thy Spirit. Take these things, 0 Holy 
Father, these things of Christ, and show them to us. 
We would love and serve Thee, our Saviour. 0 
help us; so frail, so thoughtless, so ignorant are we, 
help us. Go with us during the coming week. Be 
with us in our hours of business and of retirement. 
Keep the world under our feet, and make us gentle 
and helpful to our fellows, and strong and courage- 
ous for Thee. In the name of Jesus we ask all. 
Amen. 



For Opening Divine Service 

BY A LAYMAN, IN THE ABSENCE OF THE PASTOR. 

We beseech Thee, Heavenly Father, God of all, 
to bless us, Thy servants, who have assembled this 
day in Thy name to worship. We thank Thee for 
all the blessings which we enjoy. Every good thing 
we have comes from Thee. But above all do we 
thank Thee for the gift of Thy Son Jesus Christ, by 
whose death and sufferings in our stead we are per- 
mitted to live and to indulge the hope of life ever- 
lasting. 0 fill us with a sense of our sinfulness and 
guilt. We would be made deeply to deplore our 
manifold transgressions of Thy law and our utter 
failure to comply with its requisitions. 0 speak the 
word of forgiveness, cleanse and purify our hearts 
by the blood of Jesus, and adopt us into Thy family. 



Special Occasions. 



165 



Lord, bestow upon us the influences of Thy Spirit, 
that we may be enlightened, upheld and guided into 
the Truth. Defend us against the wiles and snares 
of the Evil One, and enable us to keep our hearts 
with all diligence. Assist us in the discharge of the 
various duties which we owe to Thee and our fellow- 
men. May we lead peaceable, quiet and godly lives, 
and adorn the doctrine of Christ our Saviour in 
every position which Thy providence assigns to us. 
May our love for Thee and Thy Son Jesus and the 
Holy Spirit increase day by day, rising above all 
earthly loves and binding us to Thee forever. 

We do most humbly beseech Thee to bless all the 
means sanctioned by Thy word, and adopted by Thy 
people, for extending our Redeemer's kingdom 
among men. Open the hearts of the heathen for 
the reception of Thy Truth, and make Thy people 
willing to support by their prayers and contributions 
all missionaries in foreign parts. Send forth more 
laborers into the harvest and increase the zeal of all 
Christians, that they may be prompted to undertake 
and to do more for the promotion of true godliness 
among men. Fill our beloved land with Thy pres- 
ence. Make our rulers peace, and our exactors 
righteousness, and may we find the happiness of 
that people whose God is the Lord. Avert from us 
war, famine and pestilence* Give prosperity to all 
engaged in legitimate pursuits and enterprises, and 
let all the arts of peace flourish among us. Keep 
the hearts of our people from pride and all manner 
of idolatry and false religion, and honor us by mak- 



166 



Special Occasions. 



ing us foremost in the work of evangelizing the 
world. Lord, bless the sick, the afflicted and the 
poor of our neighborhood. Give them patience 
under their distresses and deliverance from all their 
sorrows; and may we experience the blessedness 
of ministering to the wants of the needy, the orphan 
and the widow. 

Let Thy choicest blessing rest upon the youth of 
our land, and make the Sabbath abundantly fruitful 
of good to the rising generation. Enlist the hearts 
of all Thy people in this good work, and impress 
every parent with the importance of this institution. 

And now, Lord, prepare our hearts for the services 
of this hour, and give success to the labors of Thy 
servants this day. All these good«things we ask in 
the name and for the sake of J esus Christ, Thy Son. 
Amen. 

CLOSING PRAYER. 

0 God of heaven, Father of our spirits and Re- 
deemer of our souls, most fervently do we ask that 
Thy richest blessing may rest upon the services in 
which we have been this day engaged. May the 
lessons taught us by Thy word be treasured up and 
bring forth good fruit in our lives. We pray, too, 
that as the result of this day's labor throughout the 
world, Thy cause may be strengthened and the 
number of believers in Christ greatly increased. 0 
make all ministers of the Gospel devoted to their 
calling, and give them the wisdom required to win 
souls to Christ* Sanctify them and increase their 



Special Occasions. 



167 



moral power, and impart to them and to all Thy 
people greater efficiency, that they may prevail with 
men Let formalism and all error in faith and prac- 
tice be superseded by the reign of spirituality, 
devotion to Thy truth, and conformity to its pre- 
cepts. Unite Thy people. May they study the 
things that make for peace, and practice charity and 
good-will towards all who oppose. Let Thy word 
become to all the rule of faith and life. Enable us 
all to live godly, righteously and soberly in this 
present world, and to demean ourselves so that all 
men, seeing our good works, may be constrained to 
glorify our Father in heaven. Teach us so to num- 
ber our days that we may apply our hearts unto 
wisdom, living always in view of that day when the 
secrets of all hearts shall be revealed, and every idle 
word shall be accounted for. 

0 God, keep us from falling and preserve us 
blameless until the coming of our blessed Lord. 
May we avoid every appearance of evil, and give no 
occasion to the adversary to gainsay. Remove far 
from us vanity, foolish jesting, rioting, banqueting 
and abominable idolatry, and give us grace to work 
out our salvation with fear and trembling. All 
these blessings we ask in the name of Him who 
taught us to say when we pray : 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name ; Thy kingdom come ; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread ; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 



168 



Special Occasions. 



into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 



A Prayer for a Perfect Union of All Christians. 

0 Lord, our Father and the Father of all those 
who sincerely love Thee, who in Thy infinite com- 
passion, goodness and mercy hath required of us, 
Thy children, not only to love Thee with our whole 
souls, minds, bodies and strength, but our neighbor 
as ourselves ; and who didst shortly before Thy cruci- 
fixion give us a new commandment, that as little chil- 
dren we should love one another, we feel that we are 
living too much in the neglect of this duty, thereby 
increasing dullness, formality and coldness in spirit- 
ual things, and thus retarding the spread of the 
Gospel and the advancement of Thy kingdom. We 
would therefore, with humility and reverence, ap- 
proach Thee, and from the depths of our hearts 
implore that Thou wouldst have mercy on us, and 
incline our hearts to keep faithfully and perfectly 
this Thy last commandment, that there may be a 
unity of all Thy professing followers, not in name, 
doctrine, forms, ceremonies or usages, but a unity 
of love in heart and mind and effort to one great 
object, the promotion of Thy cause, and the advance- 
ment of Thy kingdom on earth. 0 grant, our 
Father, that Thy children of every name, sect and 



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169 



denomination, and in every clime, may feel and 
know that they are of the same brotherhood, having 
the same common Father, heirs of the same glorious 
promises, bound to the same common name, gov- 
erned by the same laws, subjects of the same king- 
dom, alike liable to the same temptations, afflictions 
and dangers, influenced by the same Spirit, branches 
of the same vine, and required to bear the same 
fruit. May they know that unitedly they compose 
Thy Church on earth, and determine henceforth that 
no little differences shall ever cause them to fall out 
by the way, and no longer may they strive to build 
up only their own sect or denomination ; but grant 
abundantly Thy Holy Spirit to the ministers of 
Christ of every denomination and in all places ; and 
so unite all Thy people in one heart and mind in 
Thy service and love, praying for each other, bear- 
ing each other's burdens, and so fulfilling Thy law 
that truth, Thy glory, and the building up of the 
Church militant, shall be the only object at which 
they aim. So unite and aid them to carry on Thy 
works till the wilderness and solitary places shall be 
made glad, till every knee shall bow before Thee, 
every tongue utter Thy praise, and every heart be 
filled with Thy love, that Thy kingdom may come, 
and Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, for 
Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 



170 



Special Occasions. 



For a Person Laboring under Conviction of Sin. 

Hearken to the voice of my cry, my King and 
my God, for unto Thee will I pray. But where- 
withal shall I appear before the Lord and bow myself 
before the most high God, whose holy laws I have 
broken, and whose just displeasure I have incurred! 
I acknowledge my transgression, 0 Lord, and my 
sin is ever before me. My iniquities have gone over 
my head, as a sore burden; they are too heavy for 
me to bear. How darkened has been my mind, 
how perverted my will, how disordered my passions, 
how hardened my heart, and how mad have I been 
in cleaving unto things displeasing unto my God, 
and destructive to my soul! 

What shall I say unto Thee, 0 Lord ? I scarcely 
know how to speak anything bad enough of myself. 
Thou art the offended Majesty, out of whose reach 
I cannot escape, and whose judgments I can never 
be able to endure. And though there is no peace 
to the wicked whilst he continues in his sins, yet if 
the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous 
man his thoughts, and return to the Lord, thy prom- 
ise then, 0 God, is to have mercy upon him and 
abundantly to pardon. I have none to look unto 
for deliverance from my sins but unto the just and 
holy God, against whom I have so grievously sinned. 
Though our sins be as scarlet, Thou canst make 
them as white as snow; though they be red like 
crimson, Thou canst make them as wool. Tea, Thou 



Special Occasions. 171 



hast found a ransom, and laid help upon One that is 
mighty, even on Thy dear Son, who is able to save 
to the uttermost all that come unto God through 
Him. Behold, 0 merciful Lord, a miserable object 
on whom to glorify Thy powder and mercy ! 0 look 
upon me in my blood, and bid me live. Speak 
death to my sins, that my soul may live, and forever 
bless Thy name. Turn away Thy face from my 
sins, and blot out all my iniquities. For Thy name's 
sake, 0 Lord, pardon my sin, for it is great, too 
great for any but a God of infinite goodness and 
mercy to forgive. 0 magnify Thyself in my deliv- 
erance. Make it seen, in Thy work upon my soul, 
how great things, worthy of God, Thou canst do ; 
that where sin hath abounded Thy grace can much 
more abound. Return, 0 Lord; deliver my soul. 
0 save me for Thy mercy's sake. Save me from the 
guilt and punishment, from the power and pollution, 
of all my sins. And Thou, Lord, who knowest how 
to deliver, make me some way to escape out of the 
perplexities into which my sins have cast me, that 
my iniquities may not be my ruin, but that they 
may be taken away and forgiven, and washed out 
with the blood of Jesus Christ. Turn Thou me, 0 
Lord God of my salvation, that I may be turned 
from my sins, and from this present evil world, unto 
Thyself. 0 give me such conviction as may end in 
sound conversion, and let me experience in myself 
that grace of God which bringeth salvation. I 
want Thy grace, 0 Lord, and I shall want it to all 
eternity. 0 God of all grace, that keepest mercy 



172 



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for thousands, hast Thou not a blessing for me, a 
blessing for my perishing soul? For Thy dear Son 
my only Saviours sake, let me find such grace in 
Thy sight. 0 God, do that work of Thy grace thor- 
oughly upon my heart, for which I may have cause 
to glorify Thy name for evermore. Amen. 



In Trouble of Soul. 

0 God of the spirits of all flesh, Thou knowest 
the grievous torment of a wounded spirit, and hast 
promised not to break the bruised reed, nor quench 
the smoking flax; have pity, therefore, upon Thy 
disconsolate servant, whose spirit is sore broken and 
overwhelmed within him (or her). Relieve and heal 
him, 0 Thou gracious God ; comfort him with Thy 
peace, and show unto his soul that Thou hast thoughts 
of love and mercy towards him. 0 blessed Jesus, 
who callest to Thee the laboring and heavy-laden 
sinners, and promisest them rest for their souls, give 
some glimpse of Thy mercy, some faith in Thy prom- 
ises, to this poor troubled soul, that is so cast down 
with a sense of his sin, and with a fear of Thy wrath. 
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken 
and a contrite heart, 0 God, Thou wilt not despise. 
0 hide not Thy face from Thy servant, nor cast him 
away from Thy presence in displeasure, but speak 
peace to him, and cause Thy grace to shine upon 
him. 0 God, be Thou pleased to cheer him with 



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173 



the hope of pardon and acceptance with Thee ; give 
him a comfortable affiance in Thee; rive him the 
witness of Thy Spirit with his spirit, to persuade him 
that he is Thy child ; whom Thou lovest Thou chas- 
tenest. 0 that he may see love in the rod, and take 
it as the chastisement of a kind Father, and not the 
vengeance of an incensed Judge, and that he may 
find this humiliation working for his everlasting hap- 
piness. Let him find that they who mourn are 
blessed and shall be comforted, and that all who 
sow in tears shall reap in joy. 0 that his sorrow 
may be the godly sorrow which worketh repentance 
not to be repented of. Let it, we pray Thee, have 
this happy issue, and end in unspeakable and glor- 
ious joy. Let him not sorrow as one without hope; 
let him see that trouble for sin is a preservative 
from hell, and that thousands who are now in glory 
went this very way to heaven, working out their 
salvation with fear and trembling; and groaning 
under the burden of sin here, that they might not 
lie under it forever. Let him, in the view of Thy 
dealings with others, learn to commit himself to 
Thee ; and when he walketh in darkness and hath 
no light, let him trust in the name of the Lord, and 
stay upon His God. 0 Lord, rebuke him not in 
Thy anger, neither chasten him in Thy sore displeas- 
ure, but return and set him free from the heavy 
pressure now upon him. Be pleased, 0 Lord, to 
deliver him for Thy name's sake, and for Thy right- 
eousness' sake bring his soul out of trouble. Thou 
hast showed him great and sore troubles; be Thou 



174 



Special Occasions. 



pleased to revive him again, that he may rejoice in 
Thee. Show him Thy mercy, 0 Lord, and grant 
him Thy salvation. 0 refresh him early with Thy 
mercy, that he may be glad and rejoice in Thee all 
his days. Let him see that Thou considereth his 
troubles and knowest his soul in adversity ; so shall 
Thy name have the glory and his soul the comfort 
of Thy seasonable relief; nor shall he ever cease to 
praise Thee for Thy sweet, abundant mercies to him, 
in Thy Son Jesus Christ. Amen. 



In Yiew of Death. 

Psalm XXIII. 

0 most merciful God, I rejoice to know that Thou 
dost rule with a sovereign sway on earth, as well as 
in heaven. Thou art the Maker of my frail body 
and the Father of my immortal soul. Thou hast 
revealed unto me through Thy Son, my Lord and 
Saviour, the way of life. Now, 0 Father, I do cor- 
dially receive the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour 
and only Redeemer, believing the whole testimony 
which Thou hast given respecting His divine char- 
acter, His incarnation, His pure and holy life, His 
expiatory and meritorious death, and His glorious 
resurrection and ascension. 0 blessed Saviour, my 
only hope and confidence of being saved rests on 
Thy mediatorial work and prevailing intercession. 
Do Thou even now, 0 blessed Saviour, smile on Thy 



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175 



poor servant. Enable me to rejoice in sweet assur- 
ance of Thy rich redeeming love. I acknowledge 
that I have no claim to Thy favor on account of any 
merit of mine, for in my flesh there is no good 
thing and my works of righteousness are as filthy 
rags. 

Thy word and Thy Spirit have taught me that I am 
a sinner. I know I have sinned and come short of 
Thy glory. My best services have been mingled 
with sin. Now, 0 Lord, my God, I would peni- 
tently confess all my sin and acknowledge my trans- 
gression, and would plead in my defense nothing 
but the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus 
Christ, who died, the just for the unjust, to bring me 
nearer to Thee. For His sake alone do I ask the 
pardon of my sin and the salvation of my soul ; for 
although I am unworthy, He is most worthy ; though 
I have no righteousness, He has provided by His 
death and His unspotted life a complete, justifying 
righteousness, in which pure robe I pray I may be 
clothed, so that I may be presented at last without 
spot or blemish to Thyself in Thy kingdom. 0 
Lord, grant that as long as I am in the body I may 
glorify Thy name, both with soul and body. 0 
make use of me as an humble instrument of advan- 
cing Thy kingdom on earth and promoting the sal- 
vation of immortal souls. If Thou hast appointed 
sufferings for me here below, I beseech Thee to 
consider my weakness, and let Thy chastisements be 
those of a loving Father, that I may be partaker of 
Thy holiness. 0 most merciful God, cast me not 



176 Special Occasions. 

off in this hour of sore affliction. Draw near unto 
me and let me behold Thy reconciled face. Forsake 
me not when my strength faileth, but let Thy grace 
be sufficient for me. Preserve my mind clear and 
strong unto the last, and my body from protracted 
disease and excruciating pain. Deliver me from 
despondency in my last hours, and enable me to 
bear affliction with patience, fortitude and perfect 
submission to Thy holy will. Lift upon me per- 
petually the light of Thy countenance, and cause 
me to rejoice in Thy salvation and in the hope of 
Thy glory. May the peace that passeth all under- 
standing be constantly enjoyed in my soul to the 
end of life. Now, 0 my God, as I am near my end, 
and as I know I must soon put off this tabernacle, I 
do humbly and earnestly beseech Thee to prepare 
me for this inevitable and solemn event. Give me, 
if it please Thee, an easy passage through the gate 
of death. Fortify my mind against the terrors of 
death. Drive away the darkness which hangs over 
the grave, and lead me gently down into the gloomy 
valley. 0 my kind Shepherd, who hast tasted the 
bitterness of death for me, and who knowest how to 
sympathize with and succor the sheep of Thy pas- 
ture, be Thou present to guide, to support and to 
comfort me. May beams of heavenly light illumi- 
nate the dark valley and shadow of death. When 
heart and flesh fail be Thou the strength of my 
heart and my portion forever. When my spirit 
leaves this earthly prison, Lord Jesus, receive it. 
May I have an abundant entrance administered 



Special Occasions. 177 

unto me into Thy kingdom of glory, through Christ 
Jesus my Redeemer. Amen. 

Sing : 

God of my life, Thy boundless grace, dec. 



To Use with a Young Person Unprepared to Die. 

Psalm LI. 

0 Father of mercies and God of all comfort, to 
whom alone belong the issues of life and death, 
look down from heaven, we humbly beseech Thee, 
with the eyes of mercy, upon this person here lying 
under Thy hand in great weakness of body. Look 
graciously upon him (or her), 0 Lord, and strengthen 
him with Thy grace and Holy Spirit. Give him 
unfeigned repentance for all the sins and errors of 
his past life, and steadfast faith in Thy Son Jesus, 
that his sins may be blotted out in Thy mercy and 
his pardon sealed in heaven, before he go hence and 
be no more seen by mortals. If it is Thy will, may 
he be raised up, and grant him a longer continuance 
among us. But if his dissolution draweth near, so 
fit and prepare him, we beseech Thee, against the 
hour of death, that after his departure hence in 
peace, and in Thy favor, his soul may be received 
into Thine everlasting kingdom, through the merits 
and mediation of Jesus Christ, Thine only Son, our 
Lord and Saviour. Amen. 

12 



178 



Special Occasions. 



For One in Dangerous Illness. 

0 God, our Heavenly Father, in Thee we live and 
move and have our being. We rejoice to think 
that Thy hand is never shortened that it cannot save, 
that Thine ear is never heavy that it cannot hear. 
We rejoice to think of Thine own recorded promise, 
that the prayer of faith, if consistent with Thy blessed 
will, will save the sick. We entreat Thee to look 
down in great mercy on that member of our family 
who is this (day) laid on a bed of languishing. May 
it please Thee of Thine infinite goodness speedily to 
restore (him). Do Thou rebuke his disease. Bring 
him back from the gates of the grave. May the 
sickness not be unto death, but for the glory of God, 
that the Son of God may be glorified thereby. Miti- 
gate the severity of pain. Grant him patience under 
his sufferings, unmurmuring submission to the will 
of Him who affiicteth not willingly. His times are 
in Thy hands. We commend him, soul and body, 
to Thee, the Great Physician. If Thou seest meet 
to raise him up, may restored health and strength 
be more than ever given unto Thee ; but if Thou 
hast otherwise determined, do Thou fit him for his 
eternal change. To him to live may it be Christ ; 
to him to die may it be great gain. And the praise 
shall be Thine forever. Amen. 



Special Occasions. 



179 



Prayer for a Christian Mother and Wife 
in Times of Affliction. 

Hebrews XII, 1 — 14. 

0 blessed Lord God, our Heavenly Father, the 
Giver of every good and perfect gift, whose tender 
mercies are over all Thy works, and who didst give 
Thine only Son to die for our sins, we most humbly 
confess that we are not worthy of the least of all 
Thy favors, and that in our lowest estate our condi- 
tion is better than we deserve ; yet impelled by our 
necessity, and encouraged by Thy most gracious 
invitation and promise, we come to Thee in this 
dark hour of adversity, knowing that vain is the 
help of man, but if we cast our burdens upon Thee, 
Thou wilt sustain us. 

We beseech Thee, 0 Lord, for Jesus' sake, to look 
compassionately upon this Thine handmaiden in her 
affliction, and most graciously to sanctify it to her 
good. May Thy grace be sufficient for her present 
need, so assimilating her to Thy will that her re- 
sponding heart shall say, " Though He slay me, yet 
will I trust in Him." As the sources of earthly 
pleasure fail her, may the consolations of Thy grace 
be so increased that she shall find it good to be 
afflicted. May she remember that contradiction of 
sinners Jesus endured, His bloody sweat and agony 
in Gethsemane, His cruel mockings and scourgings 
in Pilate's Hall, and His ignominious death on the 
cross for her redemption; and remembering, may 



180 



Special Occasions. 



she endure hardness as a good soldier, and not seek 
to be above her Lord. Thou hast said that all things 
work together for good to them that love Thee, and 
that these light afflictions, which are but for a mo- 
ment, work out for us a far more exceeding and 
eternal weight of glory. Be pleased, 0 Lord, to 
give her Thy Holy Spirit, that she may use this 
present affliction as a discipline for the correcting of 
her soul, the subjecting of her body, the purifying 
of her heart, the enlightening of her mind, and a 
reverent respect unto the recompense of reward. 
Wilt Thou graciously pardon her sins and cleanse 
her from all unrighteousness, and if at any time she 
hath, through manifold temptations, questioned Thy 
goodness or rebelled against Thy orderkigs, be 
pleased, 0 Lord, to forgive this her wickedness;' 
heal her backslidings and restore unto her the joy 
of Thy salvation, that she may yet praise Thee, and 
in meek submission say, "It is the Lord; let him 
do what seemeth Him good." 

Thou hast promised, through Thy beloved Son, 
that they who labor and are heavy-laden may find 
rest in Him. Wilt Thou in mercy vouchsafe unto 
her this hour such peaceful, trusting and satisfactory 
rest in Jesus Christ, her Saviour, that her inward, 
spiritual comfort shall far exceed and triumph over 
her present distress. 

We would not murmur against Thy ever-gracious 
providence, nor resist Thy unerring will, but we 
humbly pray that, if consistent with Thy glorious 
kingdom on earth and her own spiritual advance- 



Special Occasions. 



181 



ment, Thou wilt mercifully bring; her deliverance 
from this affliction; that, like gold refined by the 
fire, she may come forth from the furnace purified 
and perfected, reflecting Thine own blessed image, 
imbued with Thy Spirit, and endowed with all heav- 
enly graces, to be a more humble, devout, exemplary 
and useful Christian, both in her own household and 
the Church of Thine own right hand planting. 

We humbly ask these mercies, and all others 
needful for her and for us all, in the name and for 
the sake of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 
Amen. 



Prayer to be Used at the Bedside of a 
Dying Believer. 

Ever-blessed God, we rejoice to know that our 
times are in Thy hands. The Lord gives us our 
lives, and He has a sovereign right to take them 
away. Give us grace to say, Blessed be the name 
of the Lord! Do Thou look down in great mercy 
on Thy servant, whom Thou art about to take to 
Thyself. Let (him) know that leaning on Jesus the 
sting is plucked away from death, and the grave is 
robbed of its victory. 0 Thou ever-living Redeemer, 
Thou great " Abolisher of Death," who hast brought 
life and immortality to light by the Gospel, smooth 
this dying pillow; let Thy voice be heard, saying, 
"Fear not, it is X; be not afraid." Mitigate the 



182 



Special Occasions. 



severity of pain. Give him a peaceful entrance into 
glory; may Thine angels even now be waiting to 
waft him to Thy presence; may he know that Thou 
art faithful who hast promised, "Lo, I am with you 
alway, even unto the end of the world." Forgive, 
0 forgive all his past sins. May this be the one 
glorious truth to which his soul clings in a dying 
hour : " The blood of J esus Christ, God's Son, cleans- 
eth from all sin." Lord, may Thine own blessed 
soul-sustaining peace be his; a few r more moments 
and he will wake up in heaven ; sorrow and sighing 
shall have fled away forever. May he even desire 
to depart and to be with Christ, and feel this to be 
indeed far better. Hear us, good Lord, for Jesus' 
sake. Amen. 



To be Used by a Family when Yisited with 

Sickness. 

0 Lord, our God, we desire to unite in blessing 
Thee for the freedom of approach which we enjoy 
at all times to the throne of grace, through the 
atoning sacrifice of our merciful Redeemer. This, 
0 most merciful God, is w r ith us of this household a 
day of trouble, seeing Thou art visiting us by the 
disease Thou hast brought on one of our number. 
0 God, we would say Thy hand is upon us, Thy 
hand is upon us, for we know that affliction cometh 
not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out 



Special Occasions. 



183 



of the ground. We rejoice to place ourselves in 
Thy hands, for Thou art acquainted with all our 
wants, and it is by Thee alone they can be supplied. 
Visit especially, in Thy compassion, this afflicted 
one, and if consistent with Thy heavenly will restore 
(him) to health and strength and other days of use- 
fulness in the world. Rebuke the disease which 
confines him to the bed of languishing. Say unto 
him, 0 our Saviour, Arise; thy sins are forgiven 
thee ; take up thy bed and walk. If such mercy is 
yet in store for him, may he never forget Thy kind- 
ness and love. But, 0 God, if death be in the cup, 
if indeed this sickness be unto death, prepare him 
for going hence. Reveal Thyself in mercy to his 
soul, and give him to enjoy the comfort of knowing 
that he possesses an interest in Thy love which is 
better than life. Quicken his apprehensions with 
regard to all that pertains to salvation, so that every 
doubt and all distracting fear may be removed from 
his mind. 0 Thou Shepherd of Israel, compass him 
as with a shield, and when he walks through the 
valley of the shadow of death be Thou with him to 
comfort him by Thy rod and Thy staff, and to con- 
duct him safely to the mansions of everlasting bliss 
in the kingdom of heaven. Impart to him every 
consolation of which he stands in need, and say in 
mercy to his soul, Fear not, for I have redeemed 
thee; I have called Thee by thy name, thou art 
Mine; when thou passest through the waters, I will 
be with thee, and through the rivers, they shall not 
overflow thee ; when thou walkest through the fire, 



184 Special Occasions 



thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame 
kindle upon thee; for I am the Lord thy God, the 
Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour. 0 that this im- 
portant truth were habitually remembered by us: 
how it is that we are so much exposed to disease, 
and so certainly exposed to the stroke of death. 
Enable us, therefore, to look constantly to Him who 
can take away sin itself, who can cleanse us from 
all our pollutions, and clothe us in those robes which 
have been made white in the blood of the eternal 
covenant. 0 may we put on Christ as we are en- 
treated to do, and then we shall not be hurt of the 
second death. Under the shadow of His wings we 
shall find protection from every enemy, and at last 
we shall enter in safety that happy place where 
there shall be no more death, neither sorrow r , nor 
sighing, neither shall there be any more pain. Lord, 
help us by the guiding influences of Thy Holy Spirit 
to take comfort, amid all our troubles and afflictions, 
from these happy prospects. And to the Father, 
Son and Holy Ghost be everlasting praise, world 
without end. Amen. 



Domestic Sorrows — In Case of Extreme Illness 

or Bereavement. 

Be with us now, 0 Lord, in the time of our sore 
trial. Help us to lift up our souls to Thee, through 
Jesus Christ our Mediator and Intercessor, in the 



Special Occasions. 185 



exercise of humble and submissive faith. To whom 
can we turn in this extremity but unto Thee, the 
Father of mercies and the God of all comfort! Our 
times are in Thy hands. To Thee it belongeth to 
appoint unto us prosperity or adversity, health or 
sickness, life or death. Whatsoever of comfort and 
mercy we have enjoyed, or may now enjoy, we grate- 
fully trace it all to Thee, the fountain of all good. 
Whatsoever of sorrow and affliction has come upon 
us, we bow in adoring confidence and submission 
to Thy righteous will. May the sanctified uses and 
improvement of the afflictions now sent upon us, in 
Thy mysterious but holy providence, be confined in 
us, through the supplies of Thy grace, to Thy glory 
and to our spiritual profit. May these chastenings 
of Thy faithful parental love be so overruled that 
through them we may be made partakers of Thy 
holiness. Assuage, 0 most merciful God, the severity 
of Thy stroke and the bitterness of our grief, that 
we may not faint or perish under Thy hand. We 
deserve Thy displeasure for our sins, but spare us 
in Thy mercy, and glorify the riches of Thy grace 
in our deliverance and salvation. May we be so gra- 
ciously upheld and contented under these present 
trials, and in the issue of them, that we may have 
whereof to testify to others in their sorrows of Thy 
mercy in Christ and of Thy divine consolations. 
May we receive the special baptism of grace with 
the baptism of sufferings, that so we may be quali- 
fied to sympathize most tenderly with the sufferings 
of others ; and when we shall at any time be admitted 



186 



Special Occasions. 



into the sacred inner circle of human grief, may we be 
made blessed ministers of comfort to others by the 
comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of 
God. If it shall seem good to Thee, in Thy sover- 
eign pleasure, that sufferings shall abound in us, 
then may we have it to say to the praise of Thy 
grace that our consolation also aboundeth by Christ 
Jesus. Turn Thou, 0 Lord, our sorrows into joys, 
our darkness into light, our sicknesses and bereave- 
ments into the fadeless vigor and glory of immor- 
tality in heaven. By the pressure of our own 
afflictions may we be led even now to feel for the 
woes of our fellow-creatures; that the sick, whose 
healings may conduce to Thy glory; spare useful 
lives to dependent families, to the Church, to the ' 
world. Prepare those appointed unto death for the 
change that awaits them, and the living to serve 
Thy cause and promote Thy glory. Help us now 
to say from the heart, as we have been taught by 
our blessed Lord Jesus : 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 



Special Occasions. 



187 



The Evening After the Burial of a 
Member of a Family. 

John XI, 1—47. 

0 Lord, our God, in our very souls we desire 
humbly to adore Thee as the Father of all the fami- 
lies of the earth, and in the attitude of prayer we 
would in deep humility seek Thy face. Our lives 
are in Thy hand ; on Thee we are dependent for life 
and health, and friends and safe abode. Thou 
orderest our steps, and dost exercise over us a: 
watchful, unceasing care. Our being is in Thee. 
Under the shadow of Thy throne we dwell in secur- 
ity. By day we realize Thy goodness, and at night 
Thy providence guards us in our defenseless sleep and 
keeps us secure from danger and sudden calamity. 
We rest in peace because Thou art our keeper. In 
the days of prosperity we lift up our hearts in grate- 
ful emotions to Thee, as the bestower of every 
blessing we enjoy; and in times of adversity and 
affliction we would not forget Thee* 

To-day, 0 Lord, we have been called upon to 
shed the tear of affection at the grave of a member 
of our household, as we committed to its keeping 
all that was mortal of our departed one— dust to 
dust, ashes to ashes. In humble submission we 
desire to recognize the tokens of Thy love and the 
wisdom of each divine procedure. The Lord gave, 
and the Lord hath taken away ; blessed be the name 
of the Lord. The earth has received its treasure, 



188 



Special Occasions. 



and our stricken hearts, mourning the loss of earthly 
companionship, still cling to Thee for comfort in the 
hour of bereavement and sorrow. 0 Thou who 
doest all things well, who never dost unnecessarily 
afflict Thy people, be with us in this the time of 
our sadness, and pour light and comfort into our 
hearts* Raise us up to Thee in the hope, and grant 
us, 0 Lord, grace that we may not only submit to 
the teachings of Thy providence, but make them the 
means of lasting social and spiritual benefit. We 
can never recall our loved one to our home circle 
again ; the gloom of the grave shuts out from our 
sight that loved form once in our midst, but now a 
tenant of the tomb. May we who survive be drawn 
to each other in closer, purer bonds of affection and 
unity, so that we may pass the waves of this transi- 
tory life with increased delight, and prepare for 
a happier re-union in the mansions above, where 
no broken tie shall ever be realized, and where 
death never enters. May increased love and ten- 
derness rule in our hearts, gentle hands guide each 
other along the paths of life, and sweeter voices 
counsel each other in all our familv relations ; and 
above all, may we learn by this affliction to love 
Thee supremely ; may it teach us to manifest a 
more loving obedience and perfect submission to 
Thy will in all things, that we may be more like our 
divine Redeemer, more humble, more teachable, 
more self-denying, possessing more of His mind, His 
spirit, His fervent desire for the present and future 
happiness of all men, so that when we, too, shall lay 



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189 



down these tenements of clay, we may triumph 
through the blood of the Lamb, pass safely through 
the valley of the shadow of death to our house not 
made with hands, eternal in the heavens, a family 
forever with the Lord. Thanks to Thy name, 0 
most gracious God, for the blessings, the comforts 
and joys of the Christian religion, present and future, 
and for the assurance of a glorious resurrection and 
of life eternal in heaven. From what we have expe- 
rienced may we learn the shortness and uncertainty 
of this life ; that it is but a fleeting show, like the 
vapor of the cloud, the fading flower or leaf; and 
placing our affections more on heaven and less on 
earth, may we grow daily in grace and in the knowl- 
edge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And 
now, 0 most gracious Lord, into our Father's hands 
we commit us as a family, praying that He would 
guide us through life by His counsel, and in the end 
save us with an everlasting salvation, through Christ 
our Redeemer. Amen. 



A Prayer for a Woman in Travail. 

0 Lord our God, who by Thy great and infinite 
love and compassion has not only permitted but 
required us to make known our wants, desires and 
supplications unto Thee, with the promise that Thou 
wouldst be a present help in every time of need, 
and that in answer to our petitions Thou Avouldst 



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give peace to the troubled, comfort to the afflicted, 
joy to the sorrowing, and health to the sick — with 
faith in Thy promise, we would now implore Thy 
compassion in behalf of our friend, Thy servant, now 
suffering in the pangs of childbirth. Wilt Thou be 
pleased to preserve and bring her safely through its 
perils. Give her strength under her trials, and that 
faith, charity and hope that shall claim Thy promise 
in her behalf, remembering that the fruits of the 
womb is Thy reward. May she live to see and 
bring up her offspring in Thy nurture and admoni- 
tion, and with a thankful heart give glory to Thee 
for the inestimable mercies vouchsafed her. Never- 
theless, 0 Lord, we yield to Thy will, and will strive 
to embrace what sorrow Thou mayst have in store 
for us. Still, 0 our Father, bestow some beam 
from Thyself to illume her mind, that she may con- 
fidently depend on Thee, and bow with submission 
to Thy righteous will, that in the end she may re- 
ceive everlasting joy and felicity, through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 



After the Birth of an Infant. 

0 God our Heavenly Father, we render to Thee 
our thanks for all Thy tender mercies, and for hav- 
ing spared our lives amidst all the dangers through 
which we have passed ; and especially do we lift up 
to Thee, 0 God, our humble tribute of praise for 



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Thy goodness manifested to us on this occasion. 
We do thank Thee for the member Thou hast added 
to our family, and for the life Thou hast spared to 
us. Thou hast watched over us and brought us 
safely through the hour of trial, and through dan- 
gers that the knowledge of no man could detect and 
avert. Thou hast delivered us from sorrow. 0 
Thou who hearest the prayers of Thy people, as 
Thou hast heard our prayers and brought us thus 
far in peace and safety, hear us now when we pray 
that she whom Thou hast so mercifully dealt with 
may continue to experience much of Thy favor till 
in due time she is raised in strength, more deter- 
mined than ever to live wholly devoted to Thee, the 
God who redeems her. Take the child, 0 Lord, 
under Thine especial care. From this hour sanctify 
him (her) to Thyself. Amidst all the dangers of 
youth, the evils of this world, the snares and temp- 
tations with which the human path is beset, do Thou 
guide and protect him till, having served Thee on 
earth, the purposes of Thy providence being accom- 
plished, he may be a member of the household of 
faith, and meet at last with the family of God in 
heaven. Thou knowest all that lies in that short 
path from the cradle to the grave. We would there- 
fore dedicate to Thee this offspring, praying Thy 
favor, which is life, and Thy loving kindness, which 
is better than life. If it should please Thee, in Thy 
wise providence, to take him away before the years 
of maturity shall have been reached, 0 give us grace 
to part with those Thou hast given in the spirit of 



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Christian resignation. May we lightly hold to all 
the things of this earth, so that at Thy command we 
may easily let them go, saying in faith, It is the 
Lord that gives, and the Lord that takes away; 
blessed be His holy name. 

May we who occupy the important situation of 
parents feel, deeply feel, the responsibility which 
rests upon us ; and may we hear Thy voice at this 
time, saying, Take this child and nurse it for Me, and 
I will give thee thy reward. Give us grace, 0 
Father, to enable us to train up our children in the 
way they should go, so that at the great day of 
accounts we may say, Lord, here are we and the 
children whom Thou hast given us. Hear us, 0 
gracious Father, we beseech Thee, and save us in 
Thine everlasting kingdom, for Christ's sake. Amen. 



Pecuniary Difficulties. 

0 Almighty God and most merciful Lord, who 
by Thy power and wisdom orderest all things, both 
in heaven and earth, look graciously upon me (or 
us), whom Thou hast suffered to fall into great 
worldly difficulties, which bring many temptations 
and much distress and apprehension upon me ; and 
if it be in accordance with Thy holy will, deliver 
me, 0 Lord, from these difficulties, and especially 
from the evils to body or soul which may ensue 
from their continuance. Enable me to discover the 



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193 



best means for rescuing myself justly and success- 
fully, with a Christian diligence, from my present 
trials and embarrassment. But if in Thy wisdom 
Thou shalt determine that it is best for me to con- 
tinue in my present distress, teach me a full and 
patient resignation to Thy holy will; preserve me 
from all repining, all discontent with the dealings 
of Thy providence towards me ; give me full trust in 
mercy and goodness, a full assurance of that gra- 
cious promise that all things shall work together for 
good to them that love God. Guard me against all 
temptations to fraud or deceit to which my present 
situation may expose me. But especially grant, 0 
most benignant Lord, that the present and every 
other trial of my life may bring me nearer to Thee, 
may make me more desirous of attaining more earn- 
estness in laboring to attain those true riches which 
are at Thy right hand for evermore. Grant these 
things, 0 Lord, for Christ Jesus' sake, our Saviour 
and Redeemer. Amen. 



Fast Day. 

Almighty and most merciful God, our Heavenly 
Father, we humbly and most earnestly invoke Thy 
presence at this time, that we may pour our fervent 
supplications into Thy compassionate ear, which we 
trust is ever open to the plaintive petitions of Thy 
needy creatures. We feel most sensibly the pressing 

13 



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necessity of calling upon Thee for help in this season 
of severe trial and extreme want. There is no other 
in whom we can trust. Thou alone hast the words 
of everlasting life, and that we may draw graciously 
near to Thy sacred throne, and receive the rich 
benefits and divine blessings which flow from Thy 
holy presence, we would abstain from food and the 
use of all ordinary means of subsistence this day, 
relying upon the bountiful provision of Thy free 
grace. And now, 0 Lord, we humbly beseech Thee 
to look upon our helpless and forlorn condition, and 
according to the fullness of Thy great mercy admin- 
ister unto us. We feel and freely confess our un- 
worthiness, and acknowledge our individual and 
national sins; they are doubtless very great and 
offensive in Thy sight — yet may we not hope for 
Thy forgiveness, 0 merciful Father? Are not Thy 
promises designed for our encouragement? We 
believe Thou wilt forgive us if we sincerely repent. 
We do most sincerely and heartily repent of all our 
sins, and pray Thee for restraining grace to prevent 
us from ever doing anything hereafter that may be 
offensive in Thy sight. Thou knowest our weak- 
ness and the power of temptation, and how difficult 
it is oftentimes to resist. Help us, 0 God, help us, 
that we may overcome ! We are persuaded that we 
may overcome through Christ, who hath loved us 
and given Himself for us. Our wretchedness we are 
sure is the result of our transgression. We would, 
then, cease to transgress, that we may cease to be 
wretched. We would not sin simply because it 



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195 



is displeasing to Thee. We would not offend Thee, 
righteous Father, but live so as to secure Thy smiles, 
which are ever feasts to our souls. 

We pray Thee that the supplications and services 
of Thy servants this day may be regarded by Thee, 
and that Thou mayest, in the greatness of Thy 
mercy, avert the evil that threatens this nation, and 
remove the sufferings and distresses of the people ; 
and may the joys of the future more than equal the 
sorrows of the present, and may Thy Church, winch 
groans under a heavy burden of oppression from the 
the enemy, be speedily relieved; and as the sun, 
coming out from behind dark clouds, puts on his 
strength and shines with brighter lustre, so may she, 
when the day of darkness is passed, appear beautified 
in the smiles of her God. And, 0 Lord, we pray 
Thee that even while our troubles last, that, like as 
the storm is tempered to the shorn lamb, so may 
our sorrows be mixed plentifully with the comfort 
wherewith Thou dost comfort Thy people ; and 0 
may we ask that the future may bring us the un- 
mixed blessings which our sins have denied in the 
past, and may the outflowings of Thy love fill our 
hearts w r ith perpetual gladness. And further, w r e 
pray that a knowledge of Thy righteous will may be 
carried to all nations, and that all peoples may learn 
the truth as it is in J esus ; that the poor may be 
rich in faith, that the humble may be exalted by 
goodness and mercy, and that the erring may be 
reclaimed from the paths of death. May the glori- 
ous Gospel of Thy blessed Son be propagated in 



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every land so fully as that the rich effusions of Thy 
blessed Spirit may cover the earth as the waters do 
the channels of the great deep ; and when the work 
of earth is done/ receive us all into that house not 
made with hands, eternal, and in the heavens. All 
of which we ask through riches of grace in Christ 
Jesus our Lord. Amen. 



Thanksgiving* 

Great Parent of good, to Thee, the blessed 
fountain of life, light, joy and comfort, we desire to 
ascribe all glory. The earth is full of Thy goodness, 
and Thy tender mercies are over all Thy works. We 
thank Thee that our lives have fallen to us in such 
pleasant places, and that we have such a goodly 
heritage ; that Thou hast fed and clothed and pro- 
vided for us, not the necessaries only, but so many 
of the comforts and conveniences of life ; that Thou 
hast been our Deliverer in danger, our Help in trou- 
ble, and our Guide in darkness. Prepare our hearts 
to unite with Thy people in grateful offerings for 
private and public mercies. We thank Thee that 
we have our favored lot in a land where Thy churches 
are planted, where civil and religious liberty abounds, 
where we are favored with the means of useful 
knowledge, and the blessings of civil government. 
Direct in the great councils of our nation. Bless 
Thy servant, the President of these States, and all in 



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197 



places of subordinate trust. Let not the wicked 
bear rule, nor the vile be exalted. Let no root of 
bitterness spring up to trouble us. Lay Thy re- 
straints on the strong corruptions of the heart, and 
dispose Thy people to a due subjection to lawful 
authority, not for wrath, but for conscience' sake. 
Bless this State and the government more immedi- 
ately over us. Bless all means for the advancement 
of knowledge and the useful arts; and may Thy 
blessings, which maketh rich, rest upon our basket, 
our store, and on all the labor of our hands. But, 
above all, we pray that Thou wouldst rain down 
righteousness upon us, cause pure and undefiled 
religion to revive, and may Zion rise from the dust 
and put on her beautiful garments. Be with the 
ministers of the Gospel; may their hands be made 
strong by the hands of our God, Extend the king- 
dom of the Redeemer to the remotest ends of the 
earth; and under the influence of that religion, 
which is love, may war have an end, and all the 
members of this Thy great family unite in brotherly 
love. Establish Thy precious covenant with us of 
this house, and to all Thy gifts wilt Thou add a 
grateful heart. Prepare us and all Thy people for 
the public solemnities of this day, and may we so 
offer praise that we may glorify God. We commit 
ourselves, 0 God, and all for whom we ought to 
pray, to Thy infinite mercy in Christ Jesus. Amen. 



198 



Special Occasions. 



Humiliation. 

Almighty and most merciful God, Thou art of 
purer eyes than to behold iniquity. Do Thou pour 
out upon us this day the spirit of grace and of sup- 
plication, the spirit of humility and deep abasement. 
In self-renouncing lowliness we desire to take the 
publican's place and cry out, " Unclean, unclean! 
God be merciful unto us, sinners!" 

Father, we have sinned against heaven and in Thy 
sight ; we are no more worthy to be called Thy chil- 
dren. Our sins have reached unto the clouds; they 
are sins of deep aggravation; they have been com- 
mitted against manifold privileges, solemn warnings, 
and earnest entreaties. The kindness of the best 
earthly friend has been nothing to Thine, and yet 
our hearts have been ungrateful and unthankful. 
We acknowledge our sins as individuals. Our love 
has been cold, our faith weak, our graces languid, 
our services polluted; self and sin have mingled 
with our best attempts to glorify Thee. We have 
not been exercising a holy jealousy over ourselves. 
We have not had that charity which hopeth all 
things, and believeth all things, and endureth all 
things. In prosperity we have been unmindful of 
the Author of our mercies. In adversity we have 
been tempted to give way to hard thoughts and 
unrighteous surmises about the faithfulness of Thy 
dealings. 

We acknowledge our sins as families. We have 
not been exhibiting a holy consistency of walk and 



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199 



conversation. We have not been declaring before 
the world that as for us and our house we will serve 
the Lord. The flame of love and devotion has not 
burned brightly on the domestic altar as it ought. 
We have not done what we might have done for 
Thee. We have been more set on selfish and 
worldly schemes and objects than in devising meas- 
ures for the promotion of Thy glory and the good 
of our fellow-men. We confess our sins as a Church 
and as a nation. We mourn and blush to think of 
the vice and profligacy, the intemperance and un- 
godliness, which is rising up in terrible memorial 
against our highly-favored land. We mourn the 
little we have done, the much we have left undone, 
to promote Thy cause in the world. Father, forgive 
us these our many offenses ; humble us in the dust 
because of all our unworthiness. Give us grace this 
day, while we mourn the past, humbly but earnestly 
to resolve to live more devotedly to Thee in the 
future. Accept of our unworthy confessions for 
Jesus' sake. Sprinkle these guilty hearts with His 
precious blood. Let us seek in all time to come to 
walk before Thee in holiness and righteousness of 
life to the glory of Thy name. 

We commend ourselves and all belonging to us 
to Thy care and keeping; never leave and never 
forsake us ; and all that we ask is in the name of 
Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord. Amen. 



200 



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Prayer for Christmas Morning. 

Luke, 1—20. 

We adore Thee, 0 God, gracious Giver of every 
good and perfect gift, that as individuals and a 
family we live to celebrate another return of that 
glad day which filled heaven with joy and promises 
to fill earth with peace. We call upon our souls 
and all that is within us to bless Thy holy name, 
that Thou didst so love the world as to give Thine 
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him 
should not perish, but have everlasting life. Thanks 
be unto God for His unspeakable gift. With Him 
Thou dost also freely give us all things. What shall 
we render unto the Lord for all His benefits ? May 
we this day take the cup of salvation, and call upon 
the name of the Lord. In our experience let us 
prove that whosoever shall call on the name of the 
Lord shall be saved. 

We penitently confess how unworthy we are of 
the multitude of those tender mercies which have 
crowned the past year of our unfaithful, unprofitable 
lives. What but our sins could exceed Thy grace? 
Yet, 0 matchless Mercy, even where our sins abound 
Thy grace much more abounds. Blessed God, we 
pray Thee, for Jesus' sake, blot out our transgres- 
sions. Give us Thy Holy Spirit, as Thou hast prom- 
ised to those who ask Thee. Help us to do good 
unto all men, especially unto them which are of the 
household of faith. Enlarge our hearts and open 



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201 



our hands to the. poor, whom we have always with 
us. In giving away we do it as unto Thee. Help 
us to use without abuse the means which Thou hast 
bestowed. Assist us to provide bags that wax not 
old, and to lay up incorruptible treasure in heaven. 
May we keep our hearts with diligence, and remem- 
ber that we must give account to Thee of every idle 
word. Turn our feet to Thy testimonies. In keep- 
ing all Thy commandments may we find great reward. 
Permit us to enjoy, without excess, the festivities of 
this season. Fill our hearts with gladness, and may 
our lips show forth Thy praise. Prevent the pol- 
lution of our bodies, and make them and our souls 
the habitations of the Holy Spirit. Preserve our 
lives and our loved ones. Fit us, by daily grace, to 
perform the duties, improve the privileges, and suffer 
the afflictions of this evil world, as we hasten to the 
coming of Jesus the Saviour. And to Father and 
Spirit, through the Son, be the glory as it was, is 
now, and ever shall be. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thv 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 



202 



Special Occasions. 



The Last Night of the Year. 

0 Lord, we adore Thee as the God of times and 
seasons, of days and of years. Thou hadst no begin- 
ning of days; Thou canst know no end of years. 
Amidst fleeting moments and revolving seasons, the 
past and present and future are to Thee one ever- 
present "Now." A thousand years in Thy sight are 
but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in 
the night. It is our comfort to know, amid so much 
that is transient in a fleeting world, that Thou art 
the same. We desire, on this the last day of another 
year, to bow at Thy footstool. We have indeed 
good reason this night to say, "The Lord has helped 
us." From how many unseen dangers hast Thou 
delivered us ; from how many temptations, which we 
had no strength of our own to resist, hast Thou res- 
cued us. How many have this last year been 
wasted with sickness or racked with pain, or stretched 
on beds of languishing, yet Thou hast mercifully 
protected us. How many households have been 
darkened with the shadows of death, the hallowed 
circle broken, and yet we are still among the living 
to praise Thee. How many thousands of our fellow- 
men, since the year began, have passed into eter- 
nity; but we are yet spared; we are preserved 
another year longer. Night after night we laid our- 
selves down and slept because the Lord sustained 
us, and we are still the objects of His unceasing 
watchfulness and tender care. 0 God, ere the 
record has passed upwards to Thy Great Book, do 



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203 



Thou wash out every stain in the blood of Christ. 
We have no hope but in Him. We desire this night 
to hear His own blessed words of consolation and 
mercy, "Son, daughter, be of good cheer, Thy sins 
are all forgiven Thee." Bring us more and more to 
realize the untold depth of obligation under which 
we are laid to Him who hath loved us with an ever- 
lasting love. May the lives which Thou hast during 
another year prolonged and preserved by Thy 
bounty be willingly consecrated to Thy praise. 

We desire to commend to Thy goodness all in 
whom we are interested. May our absent friends 
meet us this night in spirit around the throne of 
heavenly grace. Make them the objects of Thy 
providential bounty ; may they, too, be brought to 
bewail the sins of the past, and seek for new grace 
in entering on a new period of existence* 0 when 
this rapid flight of years shall have come to an end, 
may we all be found in the regions of everlasting 
day, to unite together in singing the song of Moses 
and the Lamb. We desire to retire to rest under 
the solemn impression that we are a year nearer 
eternity ; that a year more Qf our probation time is 
fled ; that a year less of grace and opportunity and 
privilege belongs to us. Lord, take the charge of 
us, and if Thou art pleased to spare us to see the 
light of a new day and a new year, may it be to us 
the emblem of a better morning and a nobler term 
of being, when earth's shadows and darkness shall 
have forever fled. And all we ask is for the Re- 
deemer's sake. Amen. 



204 



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New Year's Day— Morning. 

Psalm XC. 

Almighty Father of mercies, Thou hast been in 
all generations the refuge and the dwelling-place of 
Thy people. Yea, before the mountains were brought 
forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the 
world, from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God. 

When we consider, 0 Lord, that a thousand years 
are with Thee as one day, we must feel that our 
own life is but the shadow of a dream, a vapor that 
appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away. 
We are forcibly reminded by this anniversary of the 
transitory nature of human affairs. Another year 
has been numbered with those which can nevermore 
be recalled. We are silently but solemnly admon- 
ished of the momentous truth, that in the order of 
Thy providence the priceless opportunities of this 
life are becoming fewer and fewer, and that our 
means of doing good are rapidly growing less, as 
the days of our years increase. Yet, 0 Lord, may 
we not repine at the accomplishment of Thy will, nor 
be unconcerned in reviewing our past lives ; may we 
not waste in idle regrets the time yet left us, nor 
may we regard with callous indifference the failures, 
the errors, the transgressions of which we have been 
guilty, and which can never be effaced but in the 
blood of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, which cleanseth us 
from all sin. We give Thee thanks, 0 Ruler of the 
universe, for the mercies Thou hast lavished upon 



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205 



us during the } r ear that has closed. Thou hast 
soothed our afflictions, relieved our distresses, and 
heightened our joys ; Thou hast supplied us with 
food and raiment, and with all those things which 
are necessary for the sustenance and comfort of the 
body. We have enjoyed abundant spiritual privi- 
leges and enlarged opportunities of doing good. 
We adore and bless Thee, 0 Heavenly Shepherd, 
for these and all other mercies with which Thou hast 
crowned our lives. 

Now, 0 Lord, we humbly beseech Thee, pardon 
our manifold sins and transgressions. May we so 
trust in the atoning mercies of Thy dear Son, that 
our poor and imperfect obedience to Thy law may 
not be remembered against us, but be accepted 
through the perfect righteousness of Him who ever 
liveth to make intercession for us. Wouldst Thou, 
then, dwell in our hearts and possess our souls, that 
we may love Thee above all, and serve Thee with 
zeal and godly fear throughout our lives. 

Most humbly do we pray Thy blessing upon us 
as a family during the coming year. Provide things 
convenient for us ; bless us in our basket and store ; 
give us health of body, contentment of mind, love 
and sympathy towards our fellow-men, and peace 
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ^ As mem- 
bers of the same family, may we be mutually a help 
and a blessing one to another. Remember our 
absent friends and loved ones ; bless our enemies, if 
such there be; and may Thy grace abound richly 
unto all men. 



* 



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Now, 0 Lord, with all we have and are, we commit 
us into Thy hands for this year, and so long as we 
shall remain on earth. Give us courage in adver- 
sity, strength in weakness, fortitude in affliction, and 
hearts to do Thy will. Finally, when we have done 
and suffered all that Thou hast appointed us to do 
and to suffer on earth, receive us and crown us heirs 
of Thine immortality in heaven, through Christ our 
Redeemer. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thv 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation; but deliver us from evil; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 



Easter Sunday Morning. 

John XX, 1 — 11 (Christ raised from the dead). 

0 Lord, our gracious God, forgive, we beseech 
Thee, our transgressions and our omissions of duty, 
by which we have made ourselves unworthy of such 
unspeakable kindness and compassion. Enlighten 
the eyes of our understanding, that we may know 
what is the hope of our calling. Help our infirmi- 
ties, that with our whole heart we may rejoice in 
that glorious Gospel which, banishes every doubt, 



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207 



turns our fears into gladness, and ministers unto us 
abundantly an entrance into the everlasting kingdom 
of glory. Grant, 0 Lord, that when we praise Thee 
because Jesus was delivered for our offenses and 
was raised again for our justification, we may be 
made partakers of His resurrection, and thus walk 
in newness of life. When we rejoice that Thou, 
according to Thine abundant mercy, hast begotten us 
again unto a lively hope, through the resurrection 
of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance in- 
corruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, 
0 then may we purify ourselves, even as He is pure, 
and seek those things that are above and lay up 
treasures in heaven. When temptation assails us, 
and we are in danger of sinning against Thee, when 
our faith would grow w T eak and our love become 
cold, do Thou make us steadfast and unmovable, 
always abounding in the work of the Lord, foras- 
much as we know our labor is not in vain in the Lord. 
May all the joys with which Thou crownest us in 
this life be made livelier and stronger by the blissful 
thought that they are but the foretaste of greater 
joys to come. Amidst all the sufferings of this 
period of probation, may we be refreshed by the 
delightful and consoling conviction that through 
them our Father is preparing His children for a far 
more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. When 
we mourn at the graves of those whom we had loved, 
may our hearts find comfort in the promise, that 
they who sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him; 
and when we ourselves shall be called out of this 



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world, may our departing spirit abundantly enjoy 
that assured hope by which we are enabled to say, 
I know that rny Redeemer liveth ; 0 death, where is 
Thy sting ! 0 grave, where is Thy victory ! Thanks 
be to God, which giveth us the victory through our 
Lord Jesus Christ. 0 Thou God of peace and con- 
solation, hear the voice of our supplication ; lift 
Thou up the light of Thy countenance upon all who 
on this day of rejoicing are burdened with sorrow 
and care, upon all who are oppressed by their fel- 
low-men, upon all who suffer for the sake of truth 
and conscience, upon all who are surrounded by 
temptations to sin, upon all who are ready to despair 
of this grace, upon all that are sick or tormented by 
the fear of death, upon all who stand at the entrance 
of the dark valley. May Christ be in them all the 
hope of glory, that the trials of their faith, being 
much more precious than of gold that perisheth, 
though it be tried by fire, may be found unto praise 
and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 



Whitsunday. 

The Acts II, 1—22 (Pentecost). 

Behold the Lord hath said, I will pour out my 
Spirit upon all flesh, and it shall come to pass that 
whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord shall 
be saved. 0 come let us worship before the Lord, 



Special Occasions. 



209 



who hath faithfully fulfilled His word. Let us wor- 
ship and declare the mighty acts of our God. Eter- 
nal God, with heartfelt emotion we worship before 
Thy glorious majesty as the only and everlasting 
source of all light and life, of all power and happi- 
ness. On this solemn festival we bless and praise 
Thee for the salvation of mankind. We thank Thee 
with our whole heart that when Christ our Saviour 
had returned to Thee, Thou didst visit Thy people 
with new mercies, and established by the outpouring 
of Thy Holy Spirit the Church of Thy Son upon 
earth. With grateful hearts we cherish the memory 
of that blessed name on which, through the gifts and 
power of Thy Spirit, Thou didst enlighten and sanc- 
tify the first friends of the Saviour, and ordain them 
to be heralds of peace and witnesses for the truth. 
Trusting in this assurance, we beseech Thee, in the 
name of Jesus, send Him unto us from Thy high and 
holy place, and with Him grant us all things that 
pertain unto life and godliness, that so we may be 
more and more brought from darkness to light, and 
be completely delivered from the bondage of cor- 
ruption into the glorious liberty of the children of 
God, Enlighten and inspire with holy zeal the 
hearts of all, as Thou didst on the day of Pentecost 
our first-born brethren at Jerusalem. And may we 
obtain a sovereign knowledge of Jesus Christ. Thou 
Spirit of life, awaken to the life that is of God all 
who are spiritually dead, and quicken more and 
more all who have been brought from death to life 0 
Enable us, without any interruption, to keep the 

14 1 ' - ' 



210 



Special Occasions. 



unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Bind up 
the broken-hearted ; raise up those that are bowed 
down by sorrows and distresses. When we meet 
with severe trials, do Thou arm us with patience and 
with firmness of faith ; and when our end is at hand, 
minister encouragement to our souls, that we may 
triumph over the terrors of death. Grant that in 
our hearts and in our lives we may bring forth the 
fruits of the Spirit, which is in all goodness and 
righteousness and truth, and thereby bear witness 
with one Spirit that we are indeed the children of 
God. We humbly beg for Christ's sake. Amen. 



Opening Service for Sabbath School. 

Be pleased, 0 Lord, Thou Giver of all grace and 
mercy, to regard with favor us Thy needy servants, 
who have here assembled ourselves in Thy presence. 
Wouldst Thou divest us of every impure or unholy 
thought, as we come before Thy throne. May all 
the members of this Sunday-school be refreshed 
with the light of Thy presence. May the exercises 
of this day be profitable unto our souls. May 
teachers impart instruction in Thy fear, with the 
love of Jesus in their hearts, and may pupils of 
every age gain a large supply of that knowledge 
which is able to make us wise unto salvation, through 
faith in Christ. Bless the dear little ones, and carry 
them as the lambs in Thy bosom- Confirm the 



Special Occasions. 



211 



young in Thy ways, and help them to hide Thy law 
in their hearts. Give us all courage and energy to 
do the work here set before us. Help us to bear 
the Cross through evil as well as good report, and 
grant that we be not weary in well-doing, knowing 
that in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 
These and all other blessings do we ask in the name 
of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Closing Exercise with Prayer. 

Follow with Thy blessing, our Heavenly Father, 
all the exercises of this day. May the words of our 
mouths and the meditations of our hearts be accept- 
able in Thy sight, 0 Lord, our strength and our 
Redeemer. May w T e go away from Thy house 
strengthened and improved by what we have learned 
and received. Keep us in safety during the week 
to come ; yet let us be ever ready to meet the sum- 
mons which may call us away at any moment from 
the shores of time. Bring us all back, if it be Thy 
will, to Thy sanctuary when another Sabbath day 
shall dawn upon us. Thus, 0 Lord, if we live, may 
we live for Thy glory; if we die, may we die in 
hope of entering upon that rest that remaineth unto 
the people of God. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 



212 Special Occasions. 

into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 



Monday Morning Prayer for a School. 

Our Father in heaven, we Thy creatures desire 
now to draw near unto Thee, and worship before the 
Lord our Maker. Thou, 0 God, hast made us wiser 
than the beasts of the field or the fowls of the air, 
and hast given us minds to know, love and enjoy 
Thee, To Thee, 0 God, we are indebted for all we 
possess. We live in Thy world, we breathe Thy air, 
and are fed at Thy table, and we confess it to be 
our duty and happiness to love and serve Thee with 
all our hearts, and to love one another as children 
of the same Father and members of the same family. 
0 God, forgive all our sins, and may they not rise 
against us in the judgment to condemn lis. May 
we love our blessed Redeemer, and live henceforth 
not to ourselves, but to Him who died for us. May 
we be meek and lowly, and true and kind, as the 
Son of God was like Him. May we be disposed to 
help all who are in distress, and to be continually 
employed in doing good. Bless the youths here 
before Thee. May they have their minds enlight- 
ened and receive that instruction which is needful 
to fit them for every service to which they shall be 
called. May they learn to love and serve the Lord, 



Special Occasions. 



213 



and to appreciate the importance of their time and 
privileges. May they so employ the precious time 
they now possess that they may secure a glorious 
harvest of present comfort and future glory. 

We acknowledge Thy good providence, which 
has preserved us until another Monday morning. 
Will God be this day and week our guide and 
guard. Keep us from all evil, but especially willful 
transgression. May we resolve that our hearts shall 
not reproach us so long as we live ; and may we die 
in peace and fall asleep in Jesus, to whose name be 
all glory, forever and ever. 

Our Father, who art in heaven: Hallowed be Thy 
name ; Thy kingdom come ; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 



Fkiday Evening Prayer for a School. 

0 God, Thy goodness is over all Thy works. Thou 
feedest the ravens when they cry, and givest to 
every beast his meat. It is Thy hand which spread- 
est our table and fillest our cup, and though we 
provoke Thee by our sins, still Thou art doing us 
good and waiting to be gracious. We thank Thee 



214 



Special Occasions. 



that another day and another week have been added 
to our lives, and that we have been protected by 
Thy Almighty hand through the dangers we have 
passed. Look with a favorable regard upon the 
youths that attend here for the purpose of receiving 
instruction. May they attain that knowledge and 
acquire those principles of conduct which shall ren- 
der them blessings to their friends and society, and 
ornaments to religion. Bless the families of which 
they are severally members, and may they who are 
intrusted with their education feel the importance of 
bringing them up in the way in which they should 
go, that when they are old they may not depart 
from it. Early possess their hearts by Thy heav- 
enly grace; may they be sober, just, holy and tem- 
perate, in all things obedient to their parents ; and 
may they return with grateful love the kindness of 
those who have supported and protected their infant 
days. May they seek the Lord while he is to be 
found, and call upon Him while He is near. Bless 
our native country, and make this the glory of all 
lands. May the rising generation be a generation 
to Thy praise. Make us all Thy children ; fit us to 
serve Thee here and to enjoy Thy presence. We 
humbly beg through the infinite merits of our 
Redeemer. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread ; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 



Special Occasions. 



215 



into temptation; but deliver us from evil; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 



On the Morning of the Marriage of a Female 
Member of the Family. 

I, COEINTHIANS VIL 

Our Father in heaven, we would together ap- 
proach Thy throne of grace this morning, gratefully 
to acknowledge the multitude of Thy mercies, and 
to implore the continuance of Thy loving kindness. 
Blessed be Thy great name, that in the riches of Thy 
grace Thou hast made the amplest provision for our 
immortal souls. As being guilty and defiled, they 
do indeed deserve to perish; but Thou hast given 
Thy beloved Son to be our Saviour, and hast ad- 
dressed to us in Thy word the overtures of recon- 
ciliation. 0 that Thou wouldst effectually persuade 
us all to make an unreserved surrender of ourselves, 
and to join ourselves unto Thee in a perpetual cove- 
nant not to be forgotten. Do Thou betroth us unto 
Thee in loving kindness and tender mercies, and let 
us enjoy the blessedness and honor of those to w r hom 
it is said, Thy Maker is thy husband ; the Lord of 
hosts is His name. 

We would unite, 0 God, in praising Thee for the 
arrangements which Thou hast made for the peace 



216 



Special Occasions. 



and good order of society, and for the innumerable 
mercies which Thy providence is daily pouring down 
on the path of our pilgrimage. Do Thou help us in 
all our ways to acknowledge Thee, that our steps 
may be directed aright; and shed abroad Thy love 
in our hearts, that all the events which befall us and 
all the changes in our lot may work together for 
our good. On this day would we in a special man- 
ner implore Thy blessing. Thou wast pleased to 
institute in Paradise the relation, and the celebration 
of a marriage was graced by the presence and hon- 
ored by the first miracle of our incarnate Lord. 
Now, therefore, that we have the prospect of having 
this ordinance observed amongst ourselves, we en- 
treat that Thou wouldst cause Thy blessing to rest 
upon the head of her who is this day to be separated 
from her relations, and enrich her with all precious 
things. Be very gracious to both the parties who 
are about to be united in wedlock. Let them be 
helpers of one another's joy, and live together as 
heirs of the grace of life. Grant that, like Zacharias 
and Elizabeth, they may be both righteous before 
the Lord, walking in all the commandments and 
ordinances of the Lord blameless; and that they 
may so spend the time of their sojourning here 
below as to be prepared for spending a blessed eter- 
nity together in that more perfect state of being, 
where they neither marry nor are given in marriage, 
but are all as the angels of God. 

Do Thou fit us, Lord, for all the duties and trials 
to which we are respectively called. To the Saviour 



Special Occasions. 217 



may we be united by a living faith. And so may 
we live at all times that when the cry is made, 
"Behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet 
him," we may be found with our lamps filled and 
trimmed, and may be honored to go in ere the door 
is shut, and to sit down at the marriage-supper of 
the Lamb. 

Heavenly Father, be our guide during the day. 
Take charge of all that concerns us. And 0 do 
Thou grant that whatever changes come over us, we 
may enjoy Thine unchanging friendship, and that to 
whatever separations we may be subjected we may 
still be united in the bonds of the everlasting cove- 
nant. And all that we ask is for Christ's sake. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 



In Yiew of Journeying* 

0 God, Thou hast called Thyself the Preserver of 
men and the length of our days. We are therefore 
encouraged to commit ourselves to Thy guardian 



*To be used in connection with the Morning and Evening Prayer, 
when necessary. 



218 Special Occasions. 

care in the journey before us. Many have parted 
with their friends with the hope of soon embracing 
each other again, but instead of returning to their 
own dwelling, have been conveyed to the house 
appointed for all living. We pray, with submission 
to Thy will, that this may not be our experience. 
Give Thine angels charge concerning us, to keep us 
in all our ways. Let no evil befall our persons, and 
no plague come nigh our dwelling. May we know 
also that our tabernacle is in peace. 

Yet, uncertain what a day may bring forth, may 
we be prepared for every event of Thy providence ; 
and wherever, in dying, we go from, may it be our 
happiness to know where we are going to, and rejoice 
in the prospect that when all our wanderings and 
partings are ended we shall unite in our Heavenly 
Father's house, and be forever with the Lord. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name ; Thy kingdom come ; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 



Special Occasions. 219 



Thanksgiving for a Safe Return from a 

Journey.* 

As the Keeper of Israel, Thou hast been with us, 
not only in the house, but by the way. We might 
have been injured by wicked and unreasonable men. 
We might have been left groaning under the pain 
of bruised or fractured limbs. Our lives might have 
been spilt, like water on the ground, which cannot 
be gathered up again; and the first tidings that 
reached our friends might have plunged them into 
anguish. But all our bones can say, Who is a God 
like unto Thee ! Thy care in our absence has been 
upon our tabernacle, and secured it from all evil. 
0 that it may be the tabernacle of the righteous, 
and be ever filled not only with the voice of rejoic- 
ing, but of praise. And be with us in all the future 
journey of life, guide us by Thy counsel, uphold us 
by Thy power, and supply all our wants, till we come 
to our Father's house in peace. 

Our Father, who art in heaven : Hallowed be Thy 
name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread ; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not 
into temptation; but deliver us from evil; for Thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 



* To be used in connection with the Morning and Evening Prayer, 
when necessary. 



220 Special Occasions. 



A Prayer for Rain.* 

0 God our Heavenly Father, Thou hast promised 
to all Thine that seek Thy kingdom and the right- 
eousness thereof, all things necessary to their bodily 
sustenance. Send us, we beseech Thee, in our ne- 
cessity, such moderate rain and showers that we 
may receive the fruits of the earth to our comfort 
and to Thy honor, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 



Thanksgiving for Rain.* 

0 Lord, Thou hast sent a gracious rain upon 
Thine inheritance, to refresh the dry and thirsty 
land, that it might bring forth fruit and yield to us 
the desired increase. 0 Lord, help us to praise 
Thee for Thy goodness and for Thy wonderful works 
toward us. And to Thy name be all the glory, now 
and forevermore. Amen. 



Prayers Suitable for Children. 

morning. 

0 God, Thou art very great, but Thou art very 
kind. May I fear Thee because of Thy greatness, 



* To be used in connection with the Morning and Evening Prayer, 
when necessary. 



Special Occasions. 



221 



and may I love Thee because of Thy kindness. 
May I love Jesus, who took little children in His 
arms and blessed them, and do what He commands 
me. May I avoid falsehood and quarreling, and all 
other vices. Bless my parents and alL my relations. 
Keep me this day by Thy power, and answer these 
my prayers for Christ's sake. Amen. 

EVENING. 

This night, 0 Lord, I lift up my voice to thank Thee 
for all the love Thou hast this day shown me. Thou 
hast kept me from harm, and hast given me all that 
I stood in need of. Make me to love Thee more 
and to serve Thee with all my heart. May my sins 
be pardoned and my soul saved, for the sake of 
Christ. Watch over me and all whom I love this 
night, and spare us to meet on a new day, for 
Christ's sake. Amen, 

MORNING prayer. 

Great God, I thank Thee, who didst keep 
Me safe when sunk in helpless sleep. 
Preserve me now, I humbly pray, 
From sin and danger all the day. 
Pardon my sins for Jesus' sake, 
And when I die my spirit take. 

EVENING prayer. 

0 Lord, for mercy at Thy throne 

1 plead, for Jesus' sake alone. 



222 Special Occasions. 

Keep me in safety all the night, 

Bless me with health and slumbers light, 

And when the grave my bed shall be, 

0 may my spirit rest with Thee. 

EVENING PRAYER. 

Now I lay me down to sleep, 

1 pray the Lord my soul to keep ; 
If I should die before I wake, 

I pray the Lord my soul to take. 

I humbly beg for Jesus' sake. Amen. 



Grace Before Meals. 

L 

Bless the Lord for these and all other mercies, 
for Christ's sake. Amen. 

II. . 

Ixdulgent Lord, bless these refreshments to our 
use and us to Thy service, for Christ's sake. Amen. 

in. 

Bless, 0 Lord, we beseech Thee, these refresh- 
ments to our use and us to Thy service. We ask 
for Christ's sake. Amen. 

IV. 

Almighty God, we beseech Thee to pardon our 
sins. Bless the refreshments now before us to our 



Special Occasions. 



223 



use and us to Thy service, through Jesus Christ. 
Amen. 

V. 

Bless, we pray Thee, our Heavenly Father, this 
provision of Thy bounty to the nourishment of our 
bodies and our souls to Thy service, for Christ's 
sake. Amen. 

VI. 

0 Lord, pardon our sins. Sanctify a portion of 
this food to the nurture of our bodies and our souls 
to Thy service, for Christ's sake. Amen. 

VII. 

0 Lord, pardon our sins, and make us grateful 
for this, another expression of Thy bounty, for 
Christ's sake. Amen. 



Grace After Meals, 
i. 

Most gracious Father, accept our united thanks 
for the mercies Thou hast now conferred upon us. 
Forgive all our sins and accept us, for Christ's sake. 
Amen. 

II 

We thank Thee, 0 Lord, for the food with which 
Thou hast supplied us. Bless it to our use, pardon 
our sins, and provide for our future wants, for 
Christ's sake. Amen. 



224 



Special Occasions. 



hi. 

Accept our thanks, most gracious Father, for the 
mercies Thou hast conferred upon us, forgive our 
sins, and save us in Thy kingdom, for Christ's sake. 
Amen. 



Benedictions. 

L 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of 
God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with 
you all. Amen. 

II. 

The peace of God, which passeth all understand- 
ing, keep your hearts and minds, through Christ 
Jesus, to eternal life. Amen. 

in. 

Now unto Him that is able to keep you from 
falling, and to present you faultless before the pres- 
ence of His glory, with exceeding joy, to the only 
wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, domin- 
ion and power, both now and ever. Amen. 

IV. 

Now the God of peace, that brought again from 
the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the 
sheep, through the blood of the everlasting cove- 
nant, make you perfect in every good work to do 
His will, working in you that which is well pleasing 
in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory 
forever and ever. Amen. 



Special Occasions. 



225 



For the Success of the Temperance Cause. 

Oh ! Lord, we live in a world of sin and wickedness. 
Satan still walketh about seeking whom he may de- 
vour ; we are allured by the world in its spirit and 
practice, and the flesh is weak. We are prone to 
evil and are easy to form sinful habits and practices. 
Lord, have mercy upon us ! 

Oh ! Lord, a mighty evil is in our midst. The evil 
of Intemperance meets our eyes at every turn in life. 
Drunkenness abounds everywhere. The young and 
the old, the rich and the poor, the learned and the 
unlearned are alike victims to the intemperate use 
of intoxicating drinks. Thou hast said, " No drunk- 
ard shall inherit" Thy kingdom. In thy word of 
divine revelation Thou dost bid us, " Look not upon 
the wine when it is red, when it giveth its color in 
the cup. For at the last it biteth like a serpent and 
stingeth like an adder," and hast assured us, that 
" they that tarry long at the wine, that seek strong 
drink," have woes, have sorrows, have contentions, 
have wounds without cause. And Thou hast pro- 
nounced a wo upon "him that putteth the bottle to 
his neighbor's lips, upon him, that giveth his neighbor 
strong drink." Oh! make us sensible of the evil 
growing out of intoxicating liquors, of the wrong of 
indulging in their use, and the sin of giving or selling 
strong drink to others. May we possess that spirit 
which the holy Apostle possessed, when he declared 
"If meat cause my brother to offend, I will eat no 
more meat while the world stands, and feel that "It 



226 



Special Occasions. 



is good not to eat meat or drink wine whereby our 
brother is made weak or caused to offend." 

Bless all those who have pledged themselves to a 
life of total abstinence from intoxicating drinks, for 
their own good and the good of others. Bless all 
Temperance societies having for their aim the refor- 
mation of the fallen, the protection of the weak, and 
the training up of the young in the ways of sobriety, 
virtue and religion. Make all the members of these 
societies, steadfast, true and faithful to their vows ; 
make them fruitful in doing good ; give them success 
in their labor of love, and may the mighty tide of 
intemperance sweeping over the land be held back 
and retarded in its progress by their united efforts. 

Teach all who would love and serve Thee, the im- 
portance of shunning and abstaining from the very 
appearance of evil, and as strong drink is introducing 
so much misery and wretchedness in the world, pros- 
trating so much that is great, betraying the man of 
honor into infamy, the man of virtue and upright- 
ness into sin, blasting and destroying so many tender 
ties in social life, and robbing the earth of so much 
of its loveliness, may they shun and abstain from 
its use, touch it not, taste it not, handle it not. Oh! 
Lord help them to be willing to deny themselves for 
the good of others, remembering that we do not live 
for ourselves alone, but also for others. May the 
membership of the church of God come up unitedly 
against this great foe to virtue, to religion, to happiness 
and heaven. May the drinking usages of society 
soon be reformed; may wholesome laws against the 



Special Occasions. 



227 



traffic in strong drinks be enacted, and may they be 
sustained by a wise and virtuous public sentiment, 
and may temperance and sobriety eventually triumph 
everywhere. 

Holy Father we know that we can do nothing 
without Thy aid and assistance. No society, organi- 
zation or work of any kind will prosper in our hands 
unless Thou shall command Thy blessing to rest upon 
it. Oh! help us in all our efforts to restrain our ap- 
petites for that which is not good for us, and in all 
our labors to win others from wrong habits and pro- 
pensities, and in all our struggles to scatter the 
sunshine of happiness around us, by influencing those 
with whom w^e associate to be sober, virtuous and 
good. Lord, Thou knowest how much we need Thy 
grace and Thy help in the propagation of temperance 
principles, in the establishment of the virtue of so- 
briety, and in the execution of every good work we 
undertake to do. Be Thou our helper and may Thy 
grace continually sustain us. 

Wc ask these favors and blessings in the name of 
Thy dear Son, our Saviour, to whom with Thee and 
the Holy Spirit, we would ascribe present and eternal 
praises. Amen. 



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